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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26430775">Breath of the Wild 2: Secrets of the Past</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynical_mystic/pseuds/cynical_mystic'>cynical_mystic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:48:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26430775</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynical_mystic/pseuds/cynical_mystic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my take on a bridge story between the original game, Breath of the Wild, and its sequel, based on the content of the trailer and various theory videos I've watched.</p><p>Link and Zelda have saved Hyrule once again, but Zelda isn't ready to be queen yet. They decide to travel around Hyrule so Zelda can reacquaint herself with the land and the people, but on their travels they uncover some unsettling things about Hyrule's past that leads them right into the belly of Hyrule.</p><p>If you're interested in the theory videos that helped inspire this fic, check out NintendoBlackCrisis, Commonwealth Realm, and Zeltik on YouTube.</p><p>All characters are the property of Nintendo.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Final Battle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Link dove into the passageway leading into the Sanctum, narrowly avoiding the laser of a Guardian Skywatcher as he tucked and rolled behind one of the low walls. After taking a few moments to catch his breath, he peeked out over the wall to determine where it’d gone. He didn’t stand until he was sure he was out of its range, and once he was standing he turned to face the Sanctum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the memories he’d regained during his travels surfaced, and he allowed himself a moment to lose himself in it. The day he and the others had been officially pronounced Champions in front of the kingdom had been one he’d been glad to remember, and he let the warmth of their hope for the future and their companionship wash over him before he stepped forward to complete their work. He opened his eyes and King Rhoam and the rest of the castle attendants were gone. Only he remained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young Hylian stepped into the Sanctum to meet the destiny he’d been born to confront, and as he did so he felt the souls of his four friends thrum in unison with his. They were more than ready for this moment. Mipha, Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa had their own scores to settle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link…” Zelda’s voice reverberated through his mind. “Link... I’m sorry, but my power isn’t strong enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pulsating sac protruding from the roof of the sanctum began to shake even harder. A beam of light shot from it and ravaged the already ruined Sanctum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t hold him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sac exploded, and the most hideous creature Link had ever seen fell to the floor of the Sanctum. Before he could get a good look at the body Ganon had managed to cobble together in the last 100 years, the floor broke beneath them and they tumbled deep below Hyrule Castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he righted himself Link managed to pull out his paraglider and soar gracefully to meet Ganon on the floor of a room he’d had no idea existed. He wondered if Zelda knew of the Sheikah room located below the castle. Something told him that before this, she didn’t know either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Link landed, he could hear the other Champions’ words as they readied their own attacks, almost as though they were right next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now my moment has finally come,” Revali crooned. “Brace yourself, Ganon, for the sting of my revenge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This will be our final opportunity,” Mipha said. “We will not fail!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go, little guy!” Daruk roared. “Now! Open wide, Ganon!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A hundred years in the making,” Urbosa murmured. “Princess. Hold on… Our moment has arrived!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked up to see a ball of light forming at the top of the shaft down which he and Ganon had fallen. After a few moments, it rained energy down on Ganon, leaving him with half his health. The young Hylian sent a prayer of thanks to his fellow Champions as he unsheathed the Master Sword and it began to glow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because of Link’s preparations and the trials he’d undergone, he was able to make short work of Ganon’s first form. When Zelda transported him to Hyrule field, along with his horse, Conrad, he was a bit confused before he turned to see a creature forming itself out of malice. Zelda spoke to him again, explaining that this was Ganon’s true form, unleashed in lieu of continuing to reincarnate. As Link mounted his horse and prepared to fight this colossal pig beast, he thought it was a decent trade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A light fell from the sky and into the field directly in front of him. Link spurred Conrad towards it and scooped Zelda’s Bow of Light out of the air. He strapped it to his back and urged Conrad out of Dark Beast Ganon’s direct line of fire, riding around the side and looking for an opening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda provided openings, marking spots on Ganon’s body where she’d been able to weaken him so Link could attack. Working together in this way, the two were able to make short work of Ganon. When it came time for the final blow, Link rode towards Ganon’s head, leaped off of Conrad’s back, whipped out his paraglider, and used the updraft created by Ganon’s fire to spring himself into the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A large Malice eye had appeared on Ganon’s forehead, and Link drew on the strands of time to cause them to slow as he pulled the Bow of Light off his back one last time and drew the deciding arrow. As he loosed it into the eye, he thanked Hylia for all of her help in getting them to this moment. The arrow pierced and Ganon’s forehead exploded into light as Zelda burst out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She floated gently to the ground much more gracefully than Link did; he landed with a thud because he hadn’t been able to grab his paraglider in time. Conrad nudged him to his feet and he rubbed his arm as he watched Zelda finish off Ganon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda held out her hand and a ball of light came forth, engulfing Ganon completely and spanning most of Hyrule Field in the process. He thought he saw a shape in the light, but it was gone before he could make it out. As the light dissipated, he could see Zelda clearly in the field, alone and still wearing her ceremonial dress from all those years ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He jogged over to her, slowing to a stop before reaching her, waiting for her to speak. When she did, it was like music to his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link, I’ve watched your journey all this time, as well as your struggles to return to us,” she said. “I can’t be more proud of you. But I have to ask…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really remember me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought of traveling to all of the places they’d been together that she’d taken pictures of and living in those moments each time he found one. He thought of all the memories he’d uncovered of events he hadn’t even been present at, when she’d gone around asking the various Champions if they would pilot Divine Beasts. He thought of the final memories: of her saving his life, her sealing away the Master Sword, and her father proclaiming her the leader of the Champions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought of all the memories in between that had resurfaced. He thought of how he’d taught her how to bond with her horse. How she’d taught him to read after he admitted he couldn’t when she was showing him some of her research materials. How she’d refused to cry on their way down Mount Lanayru, instead adopting a silence eerily similar to his own. He remembered a little girl in the palace garden, praying to the goddess statue while he watched on, a child too, wondering if he’d ever get to protect the princess of Hyrule like his dad got to. How he’d gone in search of the Master Sword as soon as he was old enough to prove that he was able to protect her. How it had taken nothing more than saving some Sheikah researchers from a Guardian’s laser with a pot lid to achieve his life’s dream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Princess,” he said. “I remember.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. After the Battle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As they stood at the entrance to Hyrule Castle, the silent building loomed over them. The pillars that had once housed hundreds of Guardians had turned blue, the Guardians themselves had stopped functioning, and the Malice had disappeared. The building was huge, cold, dilapidated, and completely empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link could hardly believe everything he had been striving for for the past several months had come to completion. He’d freed the Divine Beasts, recovered his memories, and with the help of Zelda and their friends had defeated Ganon. He couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of loss despite these accomplishments. He missed the other Champions. Even Revali. Sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked over to see Zelda watching him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should go,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, but couldn’t resist one last look up at the castle after they’d taken a few steps. He felt something leave him in a whoosh, and he stumbled to his knees. Zelda put her hand on his shoulder, and he was reminded of Fort Hateno.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s sense of loss grew stronger as he realized what had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The abilities the other Champions lended me are gone,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda took a few moments to take this in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can only hope that means they finally found peace,” she said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears sprung unbidden to Link’s eyes and he hastily wiped them away. Now his friends were truly gone and he felt as alone as he had when he’d awoken in the Shrine of Resurrection. Back when Zelda had just been a voice in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was her grip on his shoulder that brought him back to reality. He put his hand over hers and squeezed it before letting it go and getting to his feet. For the first time since they’d been reunited, he really looked at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he said. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss them too,” she murmured, looking down at the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stood in companionable silence for a few more moments before Zelda shook herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should be going,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They turned away from the castle once again, and found Conrad waiting for them right outside the old gates of Castle Town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a magnificent creature,” Zelda cried upon seeing him. “I’ve only seen a completely black horse very rarely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, grabbing Conrad’s reins and patting his nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I found a descendant of your horse,” he said. “We can retrieve him at the first stable we stop at.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent,” she said, clapping her hands. “I can’t wait!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link handed her into Conrad’s saddle and she rode sidesaddle as they walked to Wetland Stable. She probed him with questions about his adventures, and he amused her by telling her of all the silly things he’d done, which may or may not have included blowing himself up strategically several times.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The owner of the stable, Lawdon, was pleased to see Link again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link!” he cried. “What can I do for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need another horse,” Link said. “Can I have Fi?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda made a noise behind him, and he looked at her quizzically as a child named Ami brought her horse around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing,” she said. “That name is just very familiar to me for some reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can call him something else,” Link said as he helped her down from Conrad and handed her Fi’s reigns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might,” she said thoughtfully. “I’ll have to think about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rode south from the stable and turned right just after the Millennio Sandbar, according to the map on the Sheikah Slate. The marked road ended, but they followed the hill up to where the old road continued through a small valley and went through Kakariko. The two friends arrived at Kakariko shortly after sundown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After leaving their horses next to the inn, Zelda made her way immediately to Impa’s home. Link followed, amused as the guards at the bottom of the stairs collapsed into full bows as they realized who Zelda was. He was glad they’d arrived at night and avoided the attention of the entire town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda pushed open the sliding door without knocking, and the two were in the Sheikah leader’s main room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess Zelda!” Impa cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Impa,” Zelda said fondly, approaching the pillows atop which Impa was perched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda embraded the old woman as Link stood guard at the door and then proceeded to fill her in on what had transpired at the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Zelda conversed with Impa, Link began to wonder what their next move would be. He supposed he was still technically Zelda’s appointed knight, but he had no idea what that meant now the monarchy was disbanded. The ghost of King Rhoam himself had said Hyrule was a kingdom that was no more. Link and Zelda hadn’t talked of the future at all on their ride to the village, let alone the future of all of Hyrule. He dug through his memories for a potential conversation having occurred before he’d fallen, but came up with nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I saved this for you,” Impa was saying when Link returned to the present.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda took a neatly wrapped package from Impa and pulled on the string. The paper fell open in her hands and she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you so much,” she said as she ran her hands over the contents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link shifted himself a bit and caught a glimpse of the blue of his Champion’s Tunic and leather. He decided it must be her traveling clothes, preserved for the past 100 years until Zelda would need them again. Link was glad she could finally get out of the old, dirt and blood covered dress she was wearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still remember when you refused to change,” Impa said fondly. “We’d just sealed Link into the Shrine of Resurrection, and I tried to convince you to put regular clothes on before you took the Master Sword to Korok Forest, but you were having none of it. You said you’d indulged yourself enough in ensuring Link was safely entombed, but you could waste no more time in doing what needed to be done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link stored this information away to think on more at another time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Zelda said with a smile. “My own comfort was not as important as the lives that were being lost at that very moment. If only I could have prevented what occurred at Akkala Citadel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one could have,” Impa said mournfully. “Now, go upstairs and change. I’ve been aching to see you in fresh clothes for a hundred years. I think that dress might still have some of Link’s blood on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda winced, nodded, and took her package upstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The old Sheikah woman gestured for Link to approach, so he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve done well, young Link,” she said. “You should be proud.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link bowed to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you and Zelda spoken of the future?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head and couldn’t help but wonder if Link could read his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are many roads ahead which can be taken. Choose wisely for yourself, and for Zelda, and for the people of Hyrule. We have been without a monarch for so long, few remember the old ways. Perhaps things happen for a reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Link could ask what Impa meant, Zelda came down the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite having recently seen her in them, he’d forgotten how beautiful she was in her research clothes. He liked them much better than her royal or ceremonial dresses. The research clothes suited her personality as well as her figure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Link realized what he was thinking he almost slapped himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s time for Link and I to rest,” Zelda said to Impa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Impa replied. “You’re more than welcome to stay in our inn. Will we see you in the morning?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” Zelda replied. “We have no immediate plans.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleep well,” Impa called after them as Link followed Zelda out the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They made their way to the inn where the innkeeper, Ollie, refused their rupees and insisted they sleep for free. As they settled in, he stepped outside to make sure their horses were cared for. Link shoved his pack under his bed, took the Master Sword off his back, and laid it against the wall next to the bed, within easy reach in case of an emergency. Zelda placed her pack on the floor next to her bed and they both climbed under the covers to go to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a couple hours of laying awake and staring at the ceiling, Link sighed heavily. Ollie was nodding off behind the counter, and Zelda’s even breathing told him she was fast asleep. He decided to count monsters and started picturing every monster in his head in order according to strength, starting with bokoblins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young warrior was asleep before he got to the moblins.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Morning After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Link woke up, blinking away the sleep. He sat up and looked around him, figuring it must be pretty late in the morning based on the light coming in through the window. He stretched his arms and looked around to see what Zelda was doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he realized she wasn’t there, he was on his feet before he realized he’d moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took in several things very quickly: her bed was neatly made, her pack was still where she’d left it, and Ollie was still at the desk as though everything was normal. Only one of those pieces of information comforted Link. Zelda wouldn’t have made her bed if she’d been kidnapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link forced himself to breathe deeply. It had been so easy to slip back into the role of her silent protector, but it hadn’t been easy to remember she didn’t really need him in that role anymore. There was no threat of Calamity Ganon hanging over their head. The only real potential threat was the Yiga Clan, but Link knew they wouldn’t try anything in Kakariko. Outside of it, yes, but not within the gates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Link strapped the Master Sword to his back, he tried to decide what his next move was. Should he assume he had the day off because she hadn’t woken him, or was she waiting for him somewhere? It occurred to him that someone might know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Ollie?” Link called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The innkeeper was dozing off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link walked up to the counter and rapped on it sharply. Ollie jerked awake, looking around him quickly before realizing it was only Link.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning!” Ollie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did Princess Zelda tell you where she was going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Ollie replied. “I didn’t even know she’d left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a nod, Link turned and left the inn, glad he’d been correct in his assumption that Ollie wouldn’t have noticed if Zelda had been kidnapped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zelda turned out to be quite close; Link found her praying at the Goddess Statue. He waited at the end of the bridge leading up to the statue, watching his friend Pikango paint Impa’s house. He was surprised to see him in Kakariko still, seeing as the Sheikah didn’t like his choice of clothing. Link thought about making small talk with the man, but decided against it. He didn’t want to interrupt Zelda’s prayer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glancing over at the fire nearby, Link couldn’t help but chuckle. One of Cado’s cuccos was basking in the warmth of the flames, decidedly not in its coop where it should be. Link had helped Cado wrangle the egg-laying birds, but they’d only scattered again once he’d succeeded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This made Link think about how Cado’s wife had left him because of the man’s love for his cuccos. Was it because Cado loved the birds too much, or because he was replacing his wife with them? Was that the same thing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young Hylian wasn’t given much time to meditate on this. Zelda stood and turned, starting a bit when she saw him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link!” she said warmly, crossing the bridge to stand next to him. “I didn’t realize you were there. How long were you waiting for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking we’d speak with Impa today,” Zelda said, walking towards the Sheikah leader’s house. “I’ve been thinking about the state of the kingdom and want to run some things by her before I make a decision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link followed behind her, falling into an old rhythm as they climbed the stairs to Impa’s home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Paya was polishing the floor where the shrine orb had once resided. She didn’t look around when they entered, and Link didn’t feel like speaking with her. He only made her nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, Princess Zelda,” Impa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This made Paya whirl around, landing on her behind. Link almost laughed, but caught himself in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“P-p-princess Zelda?” Paya squeaked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is my granddaughter, Paya,” Impa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you, Paya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paya squealed and ran up the stairs. Zelda glanced at Link and he shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s shy,” he explained. “You did nothing wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can I help you two this morning?” Impa said, smoothing her robe across her knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had some ideas regarding the future of Hyrule,” Zelda said, kneeling in front of Impa. Link followed suit, just behind Zelda’s right side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent,” Impa crowed, patting her fist on her leg. “Let’s hear them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing Zelda said made Impa recoil slightly in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think Hyrule should stay divided.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link wasn’t thrown by this because he’d seen the memories she’d left him and managed to piece together some of the conversations that had happened in between. Zelda didn’t want to be queen; she wanted to be a scholar. She wanted to learn everything she could about ancient technology and help Hyrule advance again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess Zelda!” Impa gasped. “I can’t believe this. Hyrule has been waiting for your return for a hundred years. We need our queen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Zelda said. “Hyrule has gotten on quite well without a royal family. Why should I impose my rule on people who are too young to remember who I am?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link found himself unable to argue with this logic. True, the kingdom could benefit from a centralized military and/or police force, but he suspected the only reason there wasn’t one at the moment was because there simply weren’t enough people. He also supposed the kingdom could benefit from a central government to regulate things like infrastructure, but those were the only two reasons he could come up with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he started paying attention again, Zelda was speaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t make any decisions until I’ve looked into the state of things more closely,” she said decisively. “I want to travel to every settlement I can and meet the people of Hyrule. If I decide to be queen I want to know the needs of the people I’m leading.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link felt a rush of warmth towards Zelda. He realized he was proud of her, which surprised him. He’d never considered such a feeling towards her possible, but he supposed he was proud of her for much more than this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that’s reasonable,” Impa said. “Very wise, too. Kakariko will give you supplies before you leave. How long will you and Link be staying?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda glanced at him. They hadn’t really talked about this, and Link was wondering if he even needed to be here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought of his house in Hateno, empty and waiting for him to come home for good. He thought of hanging up the Master Sword, or even returning it to Korok Forest where it could wait for the next hero. He thought of saying goodbye to Zelda and leading a life of peace and quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The very thought made him squirm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d worked too hard to become one with the master sword to give it up, and the thought of living a quiet life unnerved him. His life as a knight had begun when he was four; he’d never known a quiet life and didn’t think he wanted to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We haven’t decided yet,” Zelda said. “We’ll plan our next move and let you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Impa nodded and Link and Zelda left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ended up outside the food shop, on the deck that had several tables with benches. They were sitting next to each other, leaning in close so they could both look at the map on the Sheikah Slate. Link was very aware of the warmth of Zelda next to him, but he tried not to think about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t going very well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We literally have the world at our fingertips,” Zelda said wistfully. “We can go anywhere we’d like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, staring intently at the Sheikah Slate but not really seeing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where would you like to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been pretty much everywhere, Princess,” he pointed out. “That’s why you have a complete map.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” she sighed, thumbing over the map absentmindedly. “I suppose it’s up to me then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Link could respond, the Sheikah Slate chirped and made Zelda’s hands shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What on earth--?” she asked as an image popped up on the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Divine Beast Vah Ruta,” Link said, recognizing the schematic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s flashing with some kind of alert,” Zelda said, studying the image more closely. “It appears to be malfunctioning in some way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose our first stop will be Zora’s Domain?” Link said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose so,” Zelda said, closing the alert and returning to the map.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link watched her scroll the map over to the circle that was Zora’s Domain, following the path they would have to take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I forgot how convoluted the road is,” she said thoughtfully. “We can set out in the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why wait?” Link asked. “If we cut through the Lanayru Wetlands, we could get there by this evening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like a day to relax,” Zelda explained, shutting off the Sheikah Slate’s screen. “I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long hundred years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was asleep for most of it,” Link pointed out, swinging his legs over the bench so that now they were facing opposite directions. He leaned back against the table so they could still converse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s true,” Zelda said with a smile that warmed his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind a day of rest,” he admitted, looking up at the waterfall behind Impa’s house. “Do you want to see something cool?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Zelda said eagerly, clipping the Sheikah Slate to her belt. “What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a surprise.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Great Fairy Fountain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Link led Zelda out of Kakariko via the path leading up to the shrine overlooking the village. They passed the armor shop, Enchanted, where Lasli tried to convince them to come in and purchase something. Zelda shook her head amiably, but as they were making their way up the path she asked Link what the shop sold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They sell an armor set that raises your ability to sneak, making your footsteps all but silent and giving you camouflage at night. They also sell the classic Hylian outfit, including hood, tunic, and the trousers I’m wearing right now. The woman who owns it is named Claree and designed the Sheikah armor herself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded thoughtfully and they continued in silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link went on alert as they passed through the gate leading to Lanayru Promenade. He knew a Yiga Clan member was stationed at the end of this road and wouldn’t put it past them to venture closer to the village just in case. This made him remember something he wanted to ask Zelda, but before he could she caught sight of the fairy fountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is beautiful,” she said, her eyes wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Link said, looking at her. “I agree.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zelda eagerly approached the fountain to examine it while Link kept an eye on the path leading out of town. He couldn’t make out anyone in the distance, but he kept his eyes and ears open just to be sure. The trees were a blessing and a curse; they provided cover for both them and anyone who might want to harm them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You worry too much,” Zelda said as she examined the mushrooms around the shrine with the Sheikah Slate. “The wards around Kakariko keep anyone with ill intentions out of the village.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wards?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said, glancing at him from where she was kneeling next to the fountain. “You never wondered what the gates were for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He supposed this made sense. If the Yiga Clan was an offshoot of the Sheikah Tribe and the Yiga Clan used magic, it would follow that the Sheikah Tribe would have come sort of magic of its own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re past this gate though,” Link pointed out, walking over to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The gates create a fifty foot radius around the edge of the village. We’re fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t tell how far they were from the gate, but he loosened up a bit. Her logic comforted him, but he still didn’t let his guard down completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you contact the Great Fair?” Zelda asked, standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link gestured to the pedestal at the front of the fountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I first came here, I had to make her an offering of rupees. There are four Great Fairy Fountains in Hyrule, and with each one I found the price grew higher.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much did the final one cost?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“10,000 rupees.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded thoughtfully as she walked around the fountain to examine the pedestal. Link watched as she carefully climbed it. When she reached the top she crouched down to examine the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fascinating,” she breathed. “It’s so clear, but I can’t see the bottom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded and looked around for the silent princesses that grew near the fountain. He spotted them at the base of a nearby tree and debated about picking one and presenting it to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook himself in irritation. He had no business giving Zelda a flower, and besides, he already had a few of them. There was no sense in picking another endangered flower on a whim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Zelda examined the water and the material the fountain was made out of, Link thought about the memories she’d saved for him, as well as the ones he’d discovered in his mission to free the Divine Beasts. This thought process led him to thinking about Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, and Mipha, and a pang rang through his chest as Mipha’s face flashed in his mind. He thought about her diary and how she’d crafted Zora armor specifically for him. How she’d been planning on proposing to him but she’d decided against it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he had a chance to think further, he saw a glint of silver out of the corner of his eye. His eyes flashed to Zelda and he realized she’d pulled a silver rupee out of her pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did you get that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was in my traveling pouch,” she said as she stood up. “Impa had the decency to not go through my things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to do with it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Summon the Great Fairy, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sense of dread filled him at this thought. The Great Fairies were beautiful women, and very handsy. He had no idea if they would treat Zelda the way they’d treated him, but for her sake he hoped not. Having them upgrade his armor had been an adventure in inappropriate experiences as apparently their magic only worked through various methods of physical affection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His emotions must have shown on his face, for Zelda asked, “Is there a reason why I shouldn’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Great Fairies can be a bit much,” Link said, his face turning red at the thought. “I don’t know if you want to meet them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda looked away from him and back into the depths of the water. He could see his warning and her desire for scientific inquiry warring on her face. He had a feeling he knew which would rule out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda dropped the rupee into the water, and Link waited for the Great Fairy to appear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After several moments had passed and she didn’t, Link realized he’d stopped breathing and took a breath. Zelda cocked her head at the fountain, a frown on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, perhaps they have nothing to say to me,” she said. “A shame. It would have been fascinating to meet them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Zelda climbed down the pedestal and they turned to head bak, Link heard a deep laugh coming from the fountain.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Future Plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Zelda spent the afternoon studying the schematics of the Divine Beasts Link had acquired when he’d freed them, while Link spent the afternoon playing tag with Cottla. He also helped her sister Koko cook dinner, and Link and Zelda ate with the two girls. After they went home to go to bed, Link told them their story.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Their father left the Yiga Clan?” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, finishing the last bite of his tough meat-stuffed pumpkin. Zelda had chosen the hasty veggie cream soup and finished before the girls left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t even know that was possible,” she said thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he had before, Link turned on the bench they were sitting on to face Impa’s house and the waterfall. He leaned back against the table so he could still see Zelda’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to buy a set of Sheikah armor before we leave town in the morning,” she said. “You never know when such an outfit will be useful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, and this reminded him of the question he’d remembered as they’d approached the Great Fairy Fountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I ask you something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you foresee happening to me in your grand plan for Hyrule?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda wrinkled her nose, and Link tried to explain better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re not going to be queen, that makes me no longer a knight, correct?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap. He watched as she twirled her thumbs around each other, obviously considering his question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose,” she said slowly. “If I don’t have plans to become queen of Hyrule, then you would be absolved of your role as my knight. That would only be fair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded slowly, turning back to watching the waterfall. The silence that fell between them rippled with tension. What did he want from his life? Did he want to follow Zelda around for the rest of their lives or did he want something else, something more? Perhaps he could move to Hateno and start a school for knights. Or go to Goron City and help them mine ore. He’d proven himself decent at that during his travels. He supposed he could also move to Tarrey Town and live there, but while Tarrey Town was full of people who were his friends, Hagie also lived there and Link didn’t like him. He was a pompous jerk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he remembered how on-edge he’d been at the Fairy Fountain and he realized maybe protecting Zelda was his destiny. He thought about the memories she’d saved for him and her journal. Specifically he remembered when they were returning from Mount Lanayru. When the ground shook from the Calamity, he had reached for her to keep her from falling. He remembered holding her as she cried as they fled the castle. He remembered her trying to get him to eat a frog for one of her experiments. He remembered his friend Kass’s teacher, who’d been the court poet 100 years ago and had written a song about the princess’s love for her knight. As he remembered all these things, a warmth spread through his chest and when he looked over at Zelda he realized that destiny or no, he would follow this girl to the ends of the earth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he looked at her, he realized she was quite tense. Without thinking, he reached for her hand. When she allowed him to take it, he laced his fingers with hers and couldn’t help but smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we could just be traveling companions then?” he suggested. “Until you decide whether you want to be queen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Zelda looked at him, her shoulders visibly relaxed and her eyes were hopeful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re more than welcome to do as you please,” she said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It would be my honor to escort you wherever you’d like to go,” he replied. “Once you decide whether you want to be queen, we can return to this conversation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded and squeezed his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should probably go to bed,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link was frozen in place. Her eyes were so green and she was so beautiful and adorable and his heart almost couldn’t take it. He had an overwhelming urge to close the gap between them. He even felt himself leaning closer to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mipha’s face flashed into his mind again and he chastised himself. He wanted to figure her out before he moved on with anyone else. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he said, his voice rough as he released her hand. “We should probably go to bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning both of them managed to wake up with the sun. They packed their bags, thanked Ollie, and returned their bags to their saddles before going to Enchanted to purchase Zelda’s armor. Link was barely paying attention; he’d had a dream about Mipha he couldn’t get out of his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they arrived at the shop he was sent back outside so Claree could properly tailor the armor to fit Zelda, so he stood on the porch of the shop, looking over at Cado’s chicken enclosure and thinking about his dream. It was very similar to the memory he’d discovered by looking at her statue in Zora’s Domain, but differently slightly. He had a sneaking suspicion it was actually a memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link was brought back to the present by Zelda stepping out of the shop with a package in her arms. She tilted her head at him, but he shook his head. How could he have been such a fool 100 years ago? Mipha had been particularly bad about hiding her feelings for him, and he’d been particularly bad about noticing. What a pair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed Zelda back to their horses and they rode out of town the way they came in, back towards Central Hyrule. Zelda called them to a halt once they’d left the remains of the old road behind and emerged onto a hill overlooking a good portion of Hyrule. They dismounted and went to observe the countryside. Link noticed how still the castle looked and was relieved. During his travels, it had been a terrifying blight against the otherwise beautiful countryside. Now it was still, and even in its ruined state it still held beauty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda pulled out the Sheikah Slate and Link kept trying to find notable landmarks. He could see the Bottomless Swamp, as well as Medoh perched above Rito Village far in the distance. To their right was Death Mountain, and he could just barely see the entrance to the Gerudo Desert to their left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll go to Zora’s Domain first,” Zelda said, still examining the Sheikah Slate. “This error from Divine Beast Vah Ruta worries me and I’d like to check it out as soon as possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, Zelda lowered the Sheikah Slate and held it to her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mipha’s father. I’d like to offer him some closure as well. Tell him how much Mipha meant to us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, still muddled by his dream. He’d like some closure as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is a lot we must do, and so many painful memories we must bear,” Zelda continued hooking the Sheikah Slate to her belt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a brief moment Link wondered if she could read his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I’m sure we can succeed as long as we stick together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She started walking away from him to return to the horses, but she stopped and turned around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t heard the voice from the sword since after our battle with Calamity Ganon,” she said thoughtfully. “I suppose it would make sense if my power had dwindled over the past 100 years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, but couldn’t help but wonder if there were some deeper meaning behind this. He wished he still had the Sheikah Slate so he could jot these things down to think about more thoroughly later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda smiled at him, the biggest smile he’d ever seen. It warmed him from his head to his toes, and he forgot about Mipha for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose I can accept that,” she said cheerfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned away from him to return to their horses and he jogged to catch up with her. When he did so the backs of their hands brushed together, but he didn’t try to hold her hand again. He needed to deal with Mipha before he could even think about his feelings for Zelda.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Road to Zora</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As Link and Zelda approached the bottom of the hill they saw a monster camp situated in a giant skull. When they’d first passed the camp the monsters had been asleep. This time, however, Link was emotionally conflicted and raring for a fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He signaled Zelda to stay back and launched himself off his horse. He let his time controlling power through him and the world around him slowed as he pulled out his bow. After loosing an arrow at the scout on the platform outside, he managed to get a second shot off at the lantern hanging from the skull’s eye. He released time and landed softly as the scout lizalfos died and the lantern fell into the skull, detonating the bombs inside. The Master Sword was in his hands faster than he could blink and he approached the skull to see if any of the monsters survived. He found one, lone lizalfos that he dispatched quickly with a few swings of the Master Sword.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link took a few moments to raid the arrows from the scout he killed, as well as examine the weapons of the others before returning to Zelda. As he mounted his horse he wondered whether they would return with the blood moon now that Ganon was gone. He asked Zelda what she thought as they rode on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose we’ll have to wait and see,” she said thoughtfully. “We haven’t seen a blood moon since we defeated Ganon but it’s only been two nights.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had the Sheikah Slate on the saddle in front of her, looking at the route they would have to take. After a few moments she sighed heavily and returned the Sheikah Slate to her belt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To Link’s questioning glance, she responded, “This is going to be a really long ride. We have to go all the way around the Lanayru Wetlands.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know a shortcut, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda looked at him from the corner of her eye and he thought she saw a small grin on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lead the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The best path leading through the wetlands was composed of partially submerged bridges of wood leading between the dry islands throughout the area. The first island they rode over had a wizzro on it; Link dispatched it easily with a few arrows to the face. They rode on through the wetland, passing a shrine on their right. The ruins of Goponga Village held another wizzro Link dealt with easily as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The interesting part came when they had a choice between going straight and turning right. Link peered into the distance and studied the map on the Sheikah Slate to confirm they should continue straight, as the road to the right held a hinox and ended in a monster camp and a dead end. He itched to destroy the hinox but knew they should get to Zora’s Domain before dark and there would be plenty of other monsters in their way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Going straight meant they had to cross through a lizalfos structure over the water, which meant Link had a grand time dispatching lizalfos from a distance. They came close to a direct confrontation with the ones stationed on the structure as opposed to the ones in the water, but Link managed to get rid of them before they could attack. Another handful of arrows for his quiver pleased him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They passed the tower and were met by two lizalfos, once again easily taken care of, and a cliff the horses wouldn’t be able to manage. Link dismounted and helped Zelda off her horse. They consolidated their supplies into their individual packs and sent their horses back to the nearest stable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you want to climb this?” Link asked, looking up at the cliff, the horses’ hooves making soft thuds in the grass behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Carefully,” Zelda replied, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link chuckled to himself and jumped onto the cliff. He hauled himself to the top and turned to look at Zelda, who had her hands on her hips and an amused expression on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you expect me to follow you that quickly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t,” he admitted, crouching down at the edge. “I expect you to climb until I can reach you and then I’ll haul you up. Is that careful enough for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It sounds more careful than me falling due to lack of experience.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link watched as she hauled herself up the cliff and reached down for her. She grabbed his wrist and he pulled her up with enough force to send himself backwards with her landing on top of him, effectively knocking the wind out of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he opened his eyes, Zelda’s face knocked it out again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Careful enough?” he gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile lit up his world, leaving him dazed in a different way as she stood and held out a hand to help him up. He took it and was soon on his feet again. After several deep breaths of recovery, they set off over Inogo Bridge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They encountered more lizalfos before they reached the tunnel leading up the hill, and Link used a fire arrow to burn the brambles away. He had Zelda hang back in the tunnel so he could deal with the lizalfos camp at the top. While he did end up getting shocked a couple times, that only made him more angry. He decided to use the master sword to finish them off as opposed to dealing with them at a distance. Once the last one was gone and he’d collected all the shock arrows they’d dropped, he returned to Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” she gasped, grabbing his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down and saw burns on his hands and arms from where he’d gotten shocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” he said gently, a new warmth spreading up his arms at her touch. “Just a few burns. Nothing I haven’t experienced before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The look on her face as she held his injured hands made him quite curious to know what she was thinking, but before he could ask she shook her head and looked up into his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, dropping his hands. “Let’s keep going.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next tunnel had electric keese and Link kept his distance, using arrows to kill them. They crossed Oren’s Bridge, encountered and defeated a camp of monsters situated around a Zora Monument, crossed Luto’s Crossing, defeated another wizzro in another camp near another Zora Monument, and the last monsters they encountered before the land bridge just before the Domain were some moblins. Link appreciated the variety and quickly dealt with them. They crossed the land bridge and Zelda grabbed his sleeve, pulling him to a halt before they crossed the Great Zora Bridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could ask, Zelda said, “I want to put this on your wounds before they get much more of a chance of healing on their own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped her pack to the ground and rustled through it, finally producing a small jar. “Impa gave me this salve for injuries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link allowed Zelda to rub small amounts of the salve on his burns, and as relief from the heat flowed through him he couldn’t help but remember the various times Mipha had healed him. A voice in the back of his mind wondered if Zelda knew about Mipha’s power, but she had to. It was one of the reasons Mipha was chosen to be a Champion. Each one of them had had their own sacred power. Mipha had Mipha’s Grace, Daruk had Daruk’s Protection, Revali had Revali’s Gale, and Urbosa had Urbosa’s Fury. Link had wielded all of their powers for the short time he’d been preparing to defeat Ganon and had found them all exhilarating. Remembering how it’d felt to feel their presence leave him after the battle with Ganon brought tears to his eyes, but he blinked them away. He still had Zelda. He wasn’t alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There you are,” Zelda said, her voice ripping him away from his depressing thoughts. “You’ll be fit in no time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped the container back into her pack and the two of them proceeded into Zora’s Domain.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Weight of the Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As they entered the Domain, Link greeted the guards at the entrance, leading Zelda to ask him who they were as they made their way to the inn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was Rivan and his daughter Dunma,” Link said as they approached Mipha’s statue. “Rivan and I trained together before the Calamity, and his daughter was born since.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were three children playing around the base of the statue as they approached, but Link hardly noticed them. He was looking up into Mipha’s face and remembering the time he’d stood nearby and remembered the young Zora princess who had loved him. He found himself unable to look away, rooted to the spot. The stone rendering of her face filled his mind and he found himself filled with a deep sadness, wanting to hear her voice again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He jerked and turned. Zelda was watching him, her brow furrowed in concern. She glanced back up at Mipha’s statue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked up at Mipha’s statue again and found himself shaking his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they went to the inn to reserve their beds, Link’s heart was heavy. He stowed his pack under his bed and thanked Kayden for hosting them. He glanced over at Kodah, who had also loved him 100 years ago, but he didn’t remember that. She’d told him they’d had a relationship and she’d ask him to choose between her and Mipha. He wished he could remember what he’d chosen, because he knew it wasn’t Kodah but wasn’t sure if it was Mipha.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda didn’t say anything to him; she simply watched as he mulled over the past he was frustrated he couldn’t remember. He looked up and saw her watching him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess, is it alright if I don’t accompany you to see the king?” he asked softly. “There are some things here I want to do. Involving some of the memories I’ve lost.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Zelda said, looking away. “We agreed we would be traveling companions until I make my decision. Meaning, of course, you no longer need to call me ‘Princess.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded and watched her leave.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His first stop was speaking with Kodah.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Linny!” she cried. “I’m sorry I didn’t greet you when you were with the Princess. I found myself in shock because I couldn’t believe she’s alive too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s alright,” Link said, wishing he had something to do with his hands. He settled for putting them on his hips as he continued speaking. “I wanted to ask you something about 100 years ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. What would you like to know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The last time I was in Zora’s Domain and we spoke, you told me you asked me to choose between you and Mipha all those years ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kodah nodded slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who did I choose?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young Zora let out a nervous laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Koda, I hate to ask, but I need to know,” Link said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kodah nodded, saying, “I understand; that just wasn’t the question I was expecting. As far as I could tell, you chose neither of us. I asked you to choose just before you were appointed to be Princess Zelda’s knight. You broke things off with me not long after your appointment and I never heard anything more. I tried to get over you and eventually did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Kodah. Really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kodah nodded again and Link left the inn, avoiding looking at Mipha’s statue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later, Zelda found him sitting on the edge of the Great Zora Bridge, looking out over the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I spoke with the king,” she said, sitting next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced over at her before looking away again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He suggested I disguise myself in some way while we travel,” Zelda continued. “If I truly want to get to know the people of Hyrule it’s best I do so in such a way that enables me to be on their level. Coming across as a princess puts walls between myself and others before I even speak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link recognized the reasonableness of this, but doubted a disguise would help. Zelda walked, talked, and breathed like a princess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What type of disguise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking I might cut my hair,” she said thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to look at her and tried to imagine what she would look like with short hair. She met his gaze and another wave of emotion passed through him. This place was getting to be overwhelming for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Were you able to offer King Dorephan closure?” Link asked after a few moments of silent eye contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said, her voice a bit flustered. “I did. He was pleased to learn we couldn’t have defeated Ganon without Mipha, and that she was a great friend and companion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link noticed she was fiddling with something in her lap and looked closer. It looked to be a book. He made eye contact with her again and flicked his gaze to the book. She looked down and jerked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I forgot about this,” she said. “King Dorephan had this made for you. They found Mipha’s diary and he wanted you to have a copy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held the book out to him but he didn’t take it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it in her handwriting?” his voice felt like rocks coming out of his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a perfect copy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked into Zelda’s face for a long moment before looking down at the book. It was beautifully bound in a type of leather he couldn’t identify and had light blue pages. The words “Mipha’s Diary” were embossed on the front in silver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, he reached for it. Zelda released it into his grasp and he felt the weight not only of the physical materials of the book but also the words it contained. He felt a sudden urge to chuck the book into the water and forget about Mipha. Push all these confusing thoughts deep down and pursue Zelda like he wanted to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he set the book in his lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cutting your hair would make you safer in an attack,” he said quietly, fiddling with the book himself now. “Your long hair puts you at risk of being grabbed more easily. Also, none of the Hylian women have that long of hair anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well let’s get to it,” Zelda said, using the rail of the bridge to pull herself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link held the book to his chest and stood to follow her back to the inn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I also received permission to examine Vah Ruta,” Zelda said as Link dug around in his pack for a small blade he could use to cut her hair. He had one for his own hair; it was only a matter of finding it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was sitting cross legged on her bed as he searched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s great,” Link said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d placed Mipha’s Diary under his pillow and was very aware of its location as he pulled his dagger out of his pack. He also grabbed the stone he used for sharpening and climbed onto his bed. Zelda watched him as he sharpened the dagger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can go examine it once we’re done here,” she said shakily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked up at her and she was eyeing his dagger with a nervous expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have to do this,” he pointed out as he returned the stone to his pack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I want to,” Zelda said, straightening. “It’s the best way to disguise myself. My hair will grow back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded and went to stand behind her. He took her hair in his hand and marveled at how soft it was. She was sitting ramrod still, barely even breathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to cut you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How short would you like it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To my shoulders.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link found the spot with his fingers and cut towards himself with the dagger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda gasped as the hair fell, but he ignored her and kept cutting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before long there was a pile of hair on the bed and floor between them, and Zelda’s hair was much shorter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link stepped around the bed to look at Zelda’s face. He smiled when he saw her eyes were shut. Tossing the dagger into his pack, he sat on his bed facing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m finished.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and turned to look at the pile of hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my!” she said. “There’s so much of it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, unable to keep the grin off his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda dove for her pack and dug around in it, eventually pulling a mirror out. She examined herself in the glass, running her fingers through her short hair. After a few moments of consideration, she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re good at this. Maybe this is how you should make a living after this is all over,” she teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Link said, his grin widening as he climbed off his bed and started cleaning up her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gathered it into a bundle and laid it out on the bed next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want to do with it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She touched it softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can just throw it away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded and threw the hair over the edge of the railing at the end of their beds. Zelda joined him in watching it float away.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Mipha's Diary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“At the request of Hyrule’s King, a group of outsiders came to greet us at the domain. One of them was a Hylian child of only about four years of age. His name was Link. He made quite a first impression. He was curious and full of energy, with a ready smile. Are all Hylian children that way? One thing that surely sets him apart is his swordsmanship, which I hear is exceptional. He has even bested adults. He must be somewhat reckless, however, as he was covered in bruises. Wishing to be helpful, I healed his wounds for him. It must have been his first time seeing healing magic, as he looked up at me with big, round eyes. It was...adorable.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Link was curled up in bed, facing away from Zelda’s sleeping form. The Zora didn’t have blankets, so he was covered by the thin blanket he kept in his pack. The light emanating from Zora’s Domain allowed him to see the pages.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolled onto his stomach, propping the book against the headboard. Link ran his fingers over the words of this first entry, trying to remember. He squeezed his eyes closed, digging around in his memory, trying to dredge up whatever had been there. After several moments of fruitless effort, he sighed and opened his eyes again.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A Divine Beast was excavated from Zora’s Domain. This one is called Vah Ruta. The first time I laid eyes on Ruta, I was surprised by how cute it was. It’s so big and round, with a long, awkward nose. According to the Sheikah who found Ruta, Divine Beasts require someone worthy to control them. It’s fun to imagine someone piloting this enormous beast in the distant past. I wonder who will have that honor next.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A rush of affection flowed through Link. He had an image of Mipha in his mind and he pictured her the size of the Zora children he’d met, fawning over Vah Ruta. This brought a smile to his face, and picturing Mipha younger brought the fragment of a memory back. He tried to follow the thought, but only remembered a sense of friendship before it was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Link came to visit the domain. It feels like forever since he was here last. He no longer resembles the child I first met. He is now an accomplished knight and keeper of the sword that seals the darkness. I am so proud. However… He hardly speaks anymore, and smiles even more rarely. He is still the kind soul I knew, but something has changed. I asked him if something had happened, if something was wrong. He merely shook his head. Perhaps it is his newly acquired height, but I feel he is ever looking past me, into the distance beyond…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered this. He remembered navigating through the Lost Woods, following the whispers of legend telling where the sword that seals the darkness rested. Some of the knights in his platoon had attempted the trip but none had been successful. The captain of the royal guard had suggested he try despite his age because of the prowess he’d already shown. He made his way through the mist with ash as his guide and managed to find Korok Forest and the pedestal where the Master Sword awaited its next hero.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered feeling a deep connection to the sword as he approached it. It had felt as though it was calling out to him. Like it always had been. Like every moment of his life had been leading to that moment. He remembered reaching out to take the hilt and the blade glowing bright blue as he touched it. He’d drawn it out of its pedestal, and it had almost killed him. It took almost all of the strength he possessed to retrieve the sword. When he finally had, he felt as though he’d found a piece of himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered walking out of that forest with the master sword on his back, and suddenly he had all of this responsibility on his shoulders. Suddenly he was more involved in facing Calamity Ganon than he had been before. Suddenly he was on the short list to being a member of the royal family’s personal guard. Suddenly, his life wasn’t his anymore. He stopped laughing as much. He stopped speaking his mind, joking and teasing like he had. He retreated within himself and resolved to bear any burdens he was given silently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What he couldn’t remember was this visit to Zora’s Domain, and he cursed himself silently. What was blocking his memory of the Zora princess?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The princess of Hyrule paid a special visit to the domain. She asked me if I would agree to pilot a Divine Beast. She told me she needs my help to face the Calamity. My heart knew at once what to do. I agreed without reservation. Calamity Ganon must not be resurrected. If he is, there is no way to ensure the safety of my people, or of anyone. I do not know what will happen. All I know is that if there is anything I can do to help, I must try. I must protect Hyrule. There is also that...the Divine Beasts are meant to assist the chosen hero when he faces Ganon. In this way, I can help Link.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s chest filled with warmth, another rush of affection to this voice from the past. He wished she were still here, that he still had this level of friendship. The young Hylian found himself glancing over at Zelda’s sleeping form and smiling. Maybe he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Link came to visit me. It had been ages. I told him the lynel of Ploymus Mountain has been terrorizing everyone lately. When I said that, he started walking toward the mountain, without a word. Spellbound, I followed him there. When we were almost there, he told me to turn back. He insisted he would be fine on his own. I stubbornly stayed. While I argued, the lynel attacked us from behind! I was sure we had met our end. How silly of me to doubt. With a sure hand and a fierce gleam in his eye, Link unsheathed the sword that seals the darkness and defeated our foe. His swordsmanship was swift and graceful. I was fascinated by the beauty of his movements. Though I should have been terrified, I could not help but feel safe in the presence of my dear friend. His kindness and determination to help those in need… His strength and skill… My heart is drawn to his. I am doomed. The last beautiful move Link performed on the mountain is called a Spin Attack. Perhaps I will attempt it with my spear.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Link was pleased to find this memory came back to him. He remembered being worried for the safety of the Domain, as well as Mipha herself, but he also remembered wanting to take out his frustrations on a monster. Using fighting as a way to get out some of his frustrations with suddenly becoming an important person. But he also remembered the look on Mipha’s face when she spoke of the fear she felt for her people and wanting more than anything to help her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Father has finally given his blessing for me to pilot the Divine Beast. The threat of the Calamity can no longer be ignored. Father said the Zora must play their part. He seemed on the brink of tears when he made me promise to return unharmed. My eyes burned with tears as well, so I simply nodded. Seggin could hardly look at me. Muzu left partway through. I feel awful for putting them through this, but I must do what I can to help Link. I could never forgive myself otherwise. Speaking of Link… I have at last finished gathering the materials for the armor. I shall start making it at once.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s heart leapt to his throat. She could only be referring to the armor King Dorephan had given him when he’d first come to the domain. The armor she’d made for him because she’d wanted to marry him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A rustling sound made Link look over at the entrance of the inn, where Kodah was polishing the railing and had accidentally knocked a pot. He watched her for a moment, waiting to see if he would remember her, but nothing came.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Today was the inauguration ceremony at Hyrule Castle. It was an honor to take part. However… Honestly, I do not remember much about it, but only because something unforgettable happened afterward. I experienced something wondrous, a beautiful moment in time I shall treasure forever. I am grateful to the princess for agreeing to my request, and to Daruk for...um… well, for bringing me closer to Link. Oh… I did hear something that shocked me enough to almost overshadow that happy moment. Link has been chosen to guard the princess wherever she goes. They shall… be spending much time together…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Link smiled at this memory. This had been the one he’d remembered once he’d completed the trials required to earn his Divine Beast. The moment Mipha was referring to had been the moment Purah had taken a picture of all of them and Daruk had scooped them all together into a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran his eyes over the last sentence again and remembered how he’d felt once he’d been appointed Zelda’s knight. He’d been a little wary, as the princess hadn’t been discreet about making her feelings for him known. He’d also been a little excited because he’d wanted to get to know her better. Mipha’s face flashed into his mind and he remembered her being less than enthusiastic when she’d congratulated him. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it then. How could she have been so in love with him and he’d never noticed? Even after Kodah had asked him to choose between her and Mipha?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I finally completed that special armor for Link. I am confident it will fit him perfectly. He is coming to the domain soon. I hope to give him my gift when I see him, but… should I really go through with it? According to the old legend, long ago a Zora princess fell in love with a Hylian swordsman. Perhaps there is hope. This will be a rare occasion that Link is not accompanying the princess. We should have some time to ourselves. Oh, I have an idea! At sunset I shall ride upon Ruta with Link. Zora princess of the past...please lend me your courage!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With a sinking sensation, Link realized this was the memory he’d gotten by looking at her statue. She’d been planning on proposing to him that day. But something had held her back. Something had kept her from asking him. What could it have been?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned the page, looking for the rest, but there was nothing. Closing the book with a sigh, he went to put it in his pack but it flew out of his hand and smacked the railing. Link checked to make sure he hadn’t disturbed Zelda before retrieving it, and when he picked it up he noticed a loose page. He tugged on it and discovered a single page had been tucked into the back of the book. Intrigued, he returned to his bed, sitting cross-legged this time and unfolding the page.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I didn’t propose to Link. I heard of his relationship with Kodah and how she’d asked him to choose between me and her. I apologized profusely when I learned of her feelings for him, but she waved me off. She told me he’d broken up with her not long after he’d become Zelda’s knight. It took everything I had to keep my agony inside until I returned to my quarters. It’s been weeks since then. If he hasn’t said anything to me about his feelings, surely they don’t exist. I can’t blame him. He has been nothing but friendly towards me this entire time. I had no reason to expect he returned my feelings. When I asked him how he and the princess were getting along, he told me of some of the things they’d been getting up to and how she’d warmed to his presence once he’d proven he was willing to die for her. Such devotion… I can’t help but wonder if there’s more to his feelings for her than devotion to Hyrule. The look on his face as he spoke took the wind out of my sails. I haven’t seen him this happy in years. Link and I are not meant to be, but I will continue to love him. How can I not?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Link sat frozen, staring at the paper in his hands. It was obviously Mipha’s handwriting, and the paper was older than the paper of the book itself, so it was highly likely that it was real, but he had to know for sure. How could he figure out for sure?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked out the door of the inn and saw Sidon walking past. Before he could think, Link was up and jogging over to the young Zora who was Mipha’s younger brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Sidon!” he called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Zora turned and raised an arm in greeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can I help you this evening, brother Link?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link held up the piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know where this came from?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sidon peered at it closely before nodding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The other day, I had this strange feeling I should check on Vah Ruta. When I made it up there, I entered the divine beast and found this piece of paper laying next to the main control unit. Once I read it and realized what it was, I knew you had to have it. I asked my father to commission a copy of Mipha’s diary and once it was finished I slipped this piece of paper in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess this means we aren’t brothers,” Link pointed out, letting his hand fall to his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link, I will always think of you as my brother,” Sidon said. “It doesn’t matter whether you returned Mipha’s feelings. Our adventure saving the domain from Vah Ruta’s downpour was enough to solidify our relationship in my mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young Hylian couldn’t help but smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree,” Link admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent!” Sidon cried, clapping Link on the shoulder so hard he stumbled forward. “Now, go get some rest. There’s still some good sleep to be had despite the late hour.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded and returned to the inn.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey all!</p><p>I recently got a Tumblr, and I've decided to start posting a chapter preview on it on a weekday before the weekend I release the chapter. I'm not being specific because I don't want to lock myself into a day and then forget!</p><p>If you want to follow me over there, my Tumblr username is cynical-mystic. It's mostly Zutara related right now, but I'll probably start reblogging Zelda fanart eventually!</p><p>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Mipha's Grace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning, Link awoke to find Zelda intently examining the Sheikah Slate. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and asked her what was wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand it,” she said. “Just last night Vah Ruta was showing an error, but now it’s gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link wondered how this could possibly be. What had changed between last night and this morning? Of course, he’d found the letter, but that couldn’t possibly be it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe it wasn’t actually a malfunction,” Zelda continued thoughtfully. “Perhaps it was an alert of some kind. As to what it could have been alerting us to, I have no clue, but apparently we’ve accomplished it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe the letter had been it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could voice this, Sidon appeared in the entrance of the inn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link! Princess Zelda!” he called. “I have an idea for how we could spend the day, if you’d like to enjoy some of Zora’s Domain!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda glanced at Link, who shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bring your Zora armor!” Sidon added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a pretty good idea of what they were about to do, Link went to change.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They went east out of the domain and climbed up to Mikau Lake, which boasted two waterfalls. At the top of the second waterfall was Lulu Lake, which also had a waterfall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What exactly do you two have planned?” Zelda asked suspiciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t come up with this,” Link pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re still more informed than I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought, since Link finished Mipha’s diary last night, that we should do something to celebrate her life,” Sidon said as they looked up at the waterfall. “One of Mipha’s favorite things to do was ride up the various waterfalls around the domain. This technique was also the last thing she taught me before she left us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember,” Link and Zelda said simultaneously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sidon glanced at them with a smirk before continuing, “The armor Link wears allows him to perform this technique as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have any armor,” Zelda said, still a bit suspicious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can ride with me,” Sidon replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be great, Zelda,” Link said. “It’s quite exhilarating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they waded into the water, Zelda didn’t look confident. Once they were deep enough to swim she climbed onto Sidon’s back. As soon as she was secure, Sidon grinned at Link.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Race you to the top?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Link could respond, the Zora man was off. Link followed as fast as he could; he’d donned the entirety of the Zora armor set so he was able to swim more efficiently than usual. He managed to keep up with Sidon until the waterfall, but as soon as they started climbing Link knew he was outmatched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, he allowed himself to enjoy the adrenaline rush of swimming up a waterfall. He broke the top of the waterfall and flew up, whipping out his paraglider and gently floating to where Sidon and Zelda were. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Princess, what did you think?” Sidon was asking Zelda as Link landed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda took a moment to answer; she was trying to get as much water as she could out of her hair. This was made easier by its new length, of course, but it seemed to be her priority still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to admit, I don’t think I was made for the water,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link took all of her in and couldn’t help but agree. She looked like a wet puppy who was not happy about it, and his heart squeezed a bit. He couldn’t help but find her cute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here,” he said, pulling a dry piece of cloth out of his waist pouch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said, taking it and wiping the excess water off her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Princess,” Sidon said, frowning. “I thought you would enjoy yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get me wrong, Sidon, I enjoyed the experience,” she said, wringing out the cloth and handing it back to Link. “I just don’t think I want another go. I’ll stay up here and watch you two have fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quite,” she said. “I’d like to study some of the surrounding fauna anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked at Sidon and shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Race you to the top?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two spent the rest of the afternoon crafting various games using the technique, and Zelda was often the judge. Sidon claimed she was biased towards Link, but Zelda maintained that she couldn’t really judge fairly as Sidon had a hundred years to practice. Link was warmed by her praise, but couldn’t help but agree that she was being biased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, call a Zora judge,” she said, crossing her arms. “See if I care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a fine judge, Princess,” Sidon said. “We’re simply teasing you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda shook her head, but she was smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should probably return to the domain,” she said. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m quite hungry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link and Sidon agreed and the three returned to the inn where Link cooked all of them heaping plates of hearty salmon meuniere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Zelda,” Sidon began once they’d finished. “Why don’t you want to be queen? You gave my father a spiel about wanting to get to know the people of Hyrule before taking the throne, but your tone suggested you didn’t relish the thought of being queen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda glanced at Link, her expression conflicted. He nodded in response. Despite Sidon’s exuberance, he wouldn’t tell anyone what she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never wanted to be queen,” she said softly. “I never wanted to rule. Now that there’s a chance for me to… to live my life the way I please, I’m intrigued by the possibility.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sidon nodded thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never wanted to do anything but rule,” he said, “so I find it hard to imagine how you feel. But I can see how a person would feel that way. Being royalty is a lot of responsibility.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Prince Sidon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where would you like to go next, Zelda?” Link asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were standing in one of the towers around the domain, looking towards East Reservoir Lake. Link had found a stash of wildberries in his pack and they were munching on them as they talked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” she admitted, biting into a wildberry. “We could go anywhere. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I asked you,” he teased, popping a whole wildberry into his mouth. He chewed meditatively, leaning against the railing. When he finished the berry, he said, “I’ve been everywhere. Nothing left to see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your favorite place in Hyrule?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link glanced over at her. He’d finally gotten used to her short hair, and right now it was slightly curled from their water adventure. She had a bit of the berry juice on the edge of her mouth, which made the corner of his mouth twitch up a bit. She met his eyes and smiled, making his heart jump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He jumped slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your favorite place in Hyrule?” she repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right. He was supposed to answer a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My favorite place in Hyrule?” he said, pulling a cloth out of his pocket and handing it to her. His first thought was to say something silly, but he thought better of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and wiped her mouth with the cloth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought of all the places he’d seen on his journeys, and the places she’d saved for his memories. A few images flashed through his mind, places he’d enjoyed and wanted to share with her. His mind landed on one place, and he smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know where we should go next.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey all!</p><p>If you want to see previews of the chapters before they're posted, you can follow me on tumblr! My username is cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Visit with a King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>That evening, Link made his pilgrimage up the stairs to the Zora throne room. He wanted to speak with King Dorephan before they left, and they’d decided to leave first thing in the morning. As he made his way to the king, he had a variety of feelings going through him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the one hand, he was excited to take Zelda to his favorite place in Hyrule.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other, he was about to tell the king the truth about his relationship with Mipha and Link had no idea how her father would react.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, Link,” King Dorephan said warmly as Link approached him. “I was hoping to see you before you left with Princess Zelda.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King Dorephan,” Link said, bowing. “It is a pleasure as always.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you think of my present?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link fought to keep his face neutral. He wanted to be honest, but he also didn’t want to pour his heart out to the king.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I greatly appreciate the honor you’ve bestowed upon me in creating a copy of Mipha’s diary for me to keep,” he said. “It brought me a lot of joy to hear her voice, even if it was only in my head. It also brought me some closure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King Dorephan nodded, his eyes watery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m pleased you enjoyed it. Even though Mipha ended up not proposing to you, I still think of you as a son. Especially after what you did not only for our Domain alone, but also for the entirety of Hyrule. Please feel free to visit us as often as you like. You will always be welcome in Zora’s Domain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He decided he didn’t need to tell Mipha’s father about the last page of Mipha’s diary. Either he already knew, or he suspected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, King Dorephan,” Link said, bowing again. “Once again, you honor me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King Dorephan nodded to Link, and he took that as a sign of dismissal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On his way back to the inn, he passed the goddess statue and her face made him pause. He remembered all of the times he’d approached a goddess statue during his journey to pray for more life or vigor after completing enough shrines. He wondered what she thought of his and Zelda’s success in defeating Ganon. What she thought of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he finished his walk back to the inn, he thought about Goddess Hylia and the three other goddesses worshipped by the people of Hyrule: Din, Farore, and Nayru. Before the Calamity, religion hadn’t been something he’d thought about much. He’d attended ceremonies and festivals held at the Temple of Time, yes, and had even been friends with several of the male and female monks at the Eastern Abbey, but he’d never actively prayed for guidance. He’d only prayed for assistance after he’d woken from his 100 year slumber and was told to save the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This made him think about Zelda, who had struggled with praying at shrines since her mother died when she was six. He had two of his own memories of the times she’d tried to pray at various springs and hadn’t succeeded in awakening her power. And yet she’d prayed at the statue in Kakariko.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked into the inn prepared to ask her about this, but she was already asleep. With a smile, he prepared for bed himself.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check out my Tumblr, cynical-mystic, for chapter previews every Wednesday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Zelda's Cover</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning they set out for Wetland Stable on foot to retrieve their horses. The road from Zora was much less dangerous than it had been on their way in as Link had killed the majority of the monsters on the road. Some new monsters had come, but he dealt with those easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they retrieved their horses, they rode on to Riverside Stable. Link had them take the most direct road as otherwise they’d risk passing Guardian Stalkers. The ones they’d seen up to this point were deactivated, mainly consisting of those around Hyrule Castle proper, but he had a sneaking suspicion not all of them had deactivated with Ganon’s defeat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At Riverside stable, they paid Ember for the bedding of their horses and two beds for themselves for the night. Link was put on guard immediately when he noticed the two inhabitants of the stable, Gotter and Parcy, glancing at Zelda. Gotter had asked him to bring him a recipe from one of the royal cookbooks in the castle and Link had found the recipe for Zelda’s favorite fruitcake and monster cake. Link had opted to bring the man monster cake and tucked the fruitcake recipe away for safekeeping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As for Parcy, she had told him of various weapons the royal guard of Hyrule had wielded before the Calamity. Apparently the castle had been safer before Link had awoken, but as he got closer and closer to healing and Zelda’s seal on Ganon weakened, the guardians activated again and Parcy was unable to continue searching for the equipment herself. Link had retrieved several pieces for her and ended up selling her a royal guard spear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their glances made him nervous because they were two everyday Hylians who might be able to recognize Zelda for who she was because of their interest in the castle. As Link and Zelda ate their dinner, he was glad she’d cut her hair. She looked very similar to how she would have been portrayed in portraits, but of course her hair was shorter and she was wearing traveling clothes. He could only assume she would have been painted wearing her more formal clothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gotter ended up joining them by the fire after they finished their meal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello,” he said jovially. “My name is Gotter. You’re Link, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, still a bit nervous. He realized it probably would have been smart to choose a cover name for Zelda. The name itself was a dead giveaway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Amyla,” Zelda said, holding out her hand for Gotter to shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did, but his eyes narrowed at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s an interesting name,” he commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda chuckled and said, “Yes, my mother loved the idea of the royal family and named me after the princess. Her name was Princess Zelda Amyla Hyrule. Of course calling me Zelda would have been a horrible idea as the name belonged to the royal family, but she decided Amyla would be an acceptable compromise. Most people just call me Amy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” Gotter huffed. “It doesn’t surprise me she wanted to call you that. You’re almost the spitting image of drawings I’ve seen of the princess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m flattered, but I couldn’t possibly be the princess. I’m only 17.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” the older man said. “I apologize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re quite forgiven,” Zelda said cheerfully. “May I ask what your trade is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I work here at the stable, but one of my ancestors was the chef at the castle. Link here helped me out by bringing me the favorite recipe of one of the ministers. It was absolutely divine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was the recipe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Monster cake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda wrinkled her nose and Link held back a laugh. Her expression brought back the memory of her distaste for the minister’s monster cake. She’d gone so far as to request he be sat as far from her as possible at state dinners where they served it. She thought it much too sweet and preferred the natural sweetness of fruit cake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d best be getting back to work,” Gotter was saying. “You folks enjoy your stay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded to him and Gotter tipped his hat to Zelda before walking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amy?” he whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was only a partial lie,” she said, a slight smile on her face as she leaned towards him. “If I decide to take the throne it won’t be that big of a deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link shook his head, smiling himself at the thought of having to explain her deception to the entirety of Hyrule.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to be in so much trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hush,” she said, shoving him gently. “Everything will turn out just fine, you’ll see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chuckle escaped him and his eyes met Zelda’s. They took his breath away and he felt as though he could look into them forever. After a few moments he realized he’d been staring and felt his cheeks flush. Zelda turned a bit pink as well and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A heat spread through his chest. He wanted to look at her all the time. He wanted to be by her side and keep her safe and appreciate her for as long as possible. He wanted her to return his gaze and give him more than just a slight hint that she might feel the same way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could say something, anything to get her to look at him, she spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should get some sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swallowed and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood to walk away but he reached out for her arm before he could stop himself. Zelda turned her beautiful green eyes on him and he froze. She put a hand on top of the one he had on her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good night, Link.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good night,” he choked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, she was gone, and he was left cursing himself for being an idiot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day as they followed the road southwest, Link tried to get up the courage to say something to Zelda. He’d felt a shift in their relationship since they’d decided to be traveling companions, and now that he was released from Mipha’s hold on him he’d felt an even deeper change. He found himself wanting to reach out and hold her hand like he had before, or brush her hair behind her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He also debated about whether he should say anything. After all, she was still a princess even though she didn’t currently have plans to reclaim her title. He was just some guy who was falling for her. It wouldn’t surprise him if every young Hylian they met fell for her. With the pick of all the men in the world, why would she choose him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A whisper of accordion music played in his ears and he remembered the song Kass had played for him, the one written by his departed Sheikah teacher.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“An ancient hero, a Calamity appears, / Now resurrected after 10,000 years. / Her appointed knight gives his life / Shields her figure, and pays the price. / The princess’s love for her fallen knight awakens her power / And within the castle the Calamity is forced to cower. / But the knight survives! In the Shrine of Resurrection he sleeps, / Until from his healing dream he leaps! / For Fierce and deadly trials await, / To regain his strength. Fulfill his fate. / To become a hero once again! / To wrest the princess from evil’s den. / The hero, the princess--hand in hand-- / Must bring the light back to this land.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kass’s teacher had been in love with Princess Zelda, but had told Kass Zelda had only had eyes for her appointed knight. According to his song, it was Zelda’s love for Link that had finally woken her power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link found himself wondering if he’d loved her before the Calamity, or if it were a new feeling. Mipha had certainly gotten the impression that there had been something more between him and Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This revelation more than anything gave him pause. Did he really love her? Or was he enamored with her because she was the only person who could tell him anything about his past? Would it be fair to her to open that door when his feelings may not be genuine?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s voice brought him back to reality just as they started to ride over the Bridge of Hylia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you thinking about so deeply?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link jerked in his saddle and cursed himself under his breath. He was supposed to be on the lookout and keeping Zelda safe; instead he was daydreaming. He glanced around them, realized where they were, and was immediately on guard. There was a group of lizalfos that camped in the middle of the bridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, Zelda?” he asked once he remembered she’d spoken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What were you thinking about so deeply?” she repeated, her voice amused. “I was trying to tell you something but you were so deep in your head you couldn’t hear me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” he said, leaning forward in his saddle to see if the lizalfos were there. “I’ll tell you what I was thinking once I deal with these guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link had Zelda hang back a bit with the horses while he proceeded on foot. He could definitely take them out with his bow, but he felt direct combat would be more beneficial to his state of mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was not disappointed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the last lizalfos fell and he sheathed his sword, Link turned to find Zelda approaching him, leading his horse by the reins while still riding hers. He walked towards her and took his horse’s reins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As for what I was thinking about so deeply,” Link said as he mounted his horse and they set off again, “I wanted to ask you something. “Why do you think your power awakened when it did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye he saw her face flush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose it awoke because I needed it,” Zelda said softly. “I needed it to protect you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The final memory she’d left him flashed in his mind, the image of her putting herself in between him and the guardian making his heart race.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It still amazes me you put yourself in between me and the guardian without knowing you’d be able to protect me,” he said thoughtfully, more to himself than to her. “That took a considerable amount of courage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said. “But it was more than courage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link waited, his breath coming in shallow spurts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at him and he felt as though she were looking into his soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, much more than courage,” she said, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link almost jumped out of his saddle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?!” he demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile widened, very like the one she’d given him after they’d left Kakariko. His heart was racing so quickly he could hear it in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I was saying before we crossed the bridge,” she said, looking away from him, “I’d like to clear out the entrance to the Great Plateau and restore the Temple of Time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s shoulders fell and all the pent-up tension drained from him. Was she messing with him? Did she not love him? What was her game?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be a good idea,” he said, his voice low. “The Temple of Time is an important landmark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but he didn’t meet hers. What was she waiting for? Why wouldn’t she tell him the truth? He ran through their conversations up to this point, trying to find the answer. Then he remembered the conversation they’d had after Mipha had come to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he wasn’t ready to pursue a relationship with her. Yes, Mipha had decided against proposing to him, but he still missed her. And there was still the lingering question of the validity of his feelings for Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spent the rest of the ride to their destination discussing various landmarks they’d like to restore, including Hyrule Castle and the Royal Ancient Lab.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check out new chapter previews every Wednesday on my Tumblr, cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Link's Favorite Place</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After a late dinner at Lakeside Stable, the two travelers arrived in Lurelin Village about an hour after nightfall. The village was quiet; no one seemed to be awake but them. They hitched their horses to the fence outside the inn and entered the boat-shaped building, where the innkeeper recognized Link immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link!” she cried. “It’s been ages! Welcome back to Lurelin and the Fishing Resort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Chessica,” Link said as he and Zelda approached her desk. “We’d like two regular beds, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chessica got them settled in and Link sank gratefully into the mattress. He let his pack drop to the floor and closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the ocean lull him to sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Link woke with a start to realize he’d slept in. He sat up and peeked through the shelf separating his and Zelda’s beds, sighing once he saw she was gone. As usual, she’d woken up long before he had. He climbed out of bed, strapped the Master Sword to his back, and went to find her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have to go far. He found her across the path, outside of the two houses owned by Kiana, Sebasto, and their two children. She was petting their Hylian retriever and talking to Kiana.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, Link!” Zelda said as he approached. “Did you sleep well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I did,” he replied, sitting on the ground next to her. The retriever came and nuzzled his hands so he scratched its ears. “Did you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I slept splendidly,” Zelda said with a smile. “I’ve just been speaking with Kiana here about the village. Isn’t it beautiful?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it is. It’s also one of the most peaceful places in Hyrule,” Link said, rubbing the retriever’s belly vigorously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been relatively untouched by the Calamity,” Kiana said as she worked on hanging clothes on the line that ran between the two huts. “Our biggest problem is the monsters that sometimes keep us from fishing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda glanced at Link, who had released the dog. He met her gaze and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The last time I was here I cleared out the monsters at Aria Beach,” he said. “As well as the lizalfos camp just down the beach. Have they returned?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not that we can tell,” Kiana said. “Would you like to have dinner with us this evening? I’m making my famous seafood paella.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’d love to!” Zelda said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent,” Kiana said, setting down her basket and turning to them. “What are your plans for the day?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we’ll go hiking,” Link said. “I want to climb Tuft Mountain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda looked at him, a bit confused, and Kiana’s face broke out into a grin as she looked between the two of them. Link felt himself flush a bit, but didn’t waver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a great idea,” Kiana said. “You two run along now. Kinov here will help me with supper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Link took Zelda to the open air fish market to choose some fish for lunch at the top of the mountain. Once the porgys were safely tucked away into his pack, he led her to the cliff behind the elder’s house. She pulled out the Sheikah Slate to look at the map, but he snatched it from her before she could turn it on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, there’s a road,” he said, clipping the slate to his belt. “It’ll take longer and it won’t be as fun as climbing. Also, if you look at the map it’ll ruin the surprise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you say so,” Zelda said, looking up at the cliff face in front of and above them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s one of the easiest climbs in Hyrule,” he said, hauling himself up onto the lowest ledge and crouching down to reach for her. “We’ll be there in no time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was correct on both counts. Not only did the hike take very little actual climbing, they also made excellent time. As they approached the final ledge he felt his heart begin to race and wondered if he was doing the right thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time he grabbed Zelda’s hand it sent warmth up his arm. Every time her eyes and nose crinkled with laughter his heart stopped. Every time she talked about how she wanted to improve the ruined kingdom he got a thrill of excitement. Everything about her made him ridiculously happy. He loved being with her and he loved talking to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he pulled her up onto the last ledge leading to Lover’s Pond, he kept holding her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at their joined hands and intertwined their fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what’s the surprise?” she asked, looking up to meet his gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In response, Link gently tugged her hand and led her around the peak they’d ended up behind. Once they emerged into the clearing, Zelda gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let go of her hand and she ran out into the middle of the flowers. By some blessing, they were the only ones looking for love at the pond that day. He followed more slowly, chuckling as he watched her throw herself down into the flowers. She rolled onto her back and looked up at him as he approached her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love this place,” she said wistfully, looking up at the clear sky. “These flowers are beautiful. This pond is beautiful. The sky is beautiful. I’m glad you wanted to come here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So am I,” he said, sitting down next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t get enough of her: watching the sky, running her hands through the flowers, exclaiming when she found a particularly pretty one. Without thinking, he pulled the Sheikah Slate off his belt, opened the camera rune, and took a picture of her. It wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it was close enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you take a picture?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t ever want to forget this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat up and faced him, shaking the petals and grass out of her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you bring me here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked into her eyes and couldn’t tell what she was feeling. It was as though she were holding her emotions back, hiding herself from him. This made him nervous and he almost lost his resolve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to talk to you about Mipha,” he said finally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about Mipha?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link told her everything, even the things she probably already knew. He told her about Mipha being in love with him and wanting to propose. He told her about how she’d made him Zora armor to do just that but changed her mind at the last second. He told her about how the only reason the Zora elders trusted him when he returned was because Mipha had made him that armor and had loved him. He told her about Mipha’s diary and his conversations with Kodah. He told her about the final page Sidon had added. He poured his heart and soul out to Zelda, and when he finished he was crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss her,” he admitted, wiping at his eyes with the palm of his hand. “But now I can miss her for what she was to me and not for what I thought she was. She was my friend. One of my oldest, best friends, but just a friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded, still absorbing this information while Link wiped his tears away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you want to tell me this now? Here?” she asked once he’d recovered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link took a deep breath to try to calm himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t very effective.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kass told me about his teacher,” Link said. “The Sheikah who was the court musician 100 years ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you know he was in love with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A lot of people were in love with me, Link,” Zelda pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This made him pause, and his mind became even more jumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She must have picked up on this, because she continued, “I’m not saying that to sound conceited or anything, I’m saying it because I didn’t care about any of the people who were in love with me. I only wanted--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The word hung between them and Link’s heart was beating faster than ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s cheeks turned pink and she nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said quietly. “Yes, I only wanted you. And you were the one person my age who wasn’t in love with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about now?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you… do you still want me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda didn’t answer this. Instead she said, “The memory you recovered of me entrusting the Master Sword to the Great Deku Tree after you fell. Do you remember it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, his breath catching in his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said you had a message for me, and the Great Deku Tree basically told you to tell me yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chuckle escaped Zelda in a quick breath and she nodded again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I did have a message for you. I do have one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was as though time stood still around them, and Link double-checked to make sure he wasn’t accidentally slowing down time because of the stress. No, the wind had stopped and there were no clouds in the sky. No indication time was moving around them at all. It was just him and Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link,” she said, scooting closer to him and making his pulse jump again. “When I put myself between you and that guardian, it was because I was desperately in love with you. I have been ever since you saved me from the Yiga Clan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young Hylian couldn’t think. He could barely breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too,” he was finally able to choke. “I love you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had no idea who moved first, but suddenly she was in his arms and they were hugging each other so tightly there was a physical reason they couldn’t breathe. Link buried his face in Zelda’s neck and she in his. They sat like this for a long while, holding each other until finally they had to let go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda ended up sitting between his legs, laying against his chest while his arms rested loosely around her. She traced the embroidery on his sleeve while he fiddled with the extra fabric on her belt. He didn’t want to let her go, but eventually they had to admit they were both hungry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seriously considered trying to light a fire while she was still cuddled up to him but she convinced him this was rather dangerous and would hurt the flowers. Both of them reluctantly moved and went to a clear area where he could start a fire and not burn the whole mountain. He wrapped the fish they’d brought in leaves and set them on the edge of the fire to cook.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the fish were cooking, Zelda was back in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you thinking?” he asked as the fire crackled gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never thought you’d love me back,” she said contemplatively, returning to tracing the embroidery on his sleeve. “I thought you protected me and helped me because you had to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At first it was that,” he admitted, remembering the time they’d been at the shrine on top of a ridge leading to Rito Village. “You weren’t exactly easy to get along with in the beginning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she sighed. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve already apologized,” he pointed out. “100 years ago. I remember. After I saved you from the Yiga Clan and you had time to recover, you apologized for how you’d been treating me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you protect me then because you had to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By then I think I realized that your hatred for me wasn’t my fault,” he admitted, tucking her head under his chin. “I came to admire you, really. You were brilliant and dedicated despite all of the pressure being put on you. I wanted to get to know you better. I’m kind of thankful for that attack, really. It’s what opened the door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My favorite of the memories you left for me was the one with the frog,” he said with a grin. “I ate that frog raw. I was probably a bit in love with you even then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda chuckled at this, and Link glanced over and saw the fish was done. They ate their lunch, put out the fire, and decided to walk the path back to the village. While they were walking, Zelda asked if Lurelin was his favorite place in Hyrule.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said, emboldened. “My favorite place in Hyrule is wherever you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s entire face and the tips of her ears turned pink, and Link was pleased with himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That evening, they had dinner with Kiana and her family and Link entertained the two boys with stories about fighting monsters while Zelda talked with Kiana and Sebasto about the village and how they’d like to see things improved if they could. Once the seafood paella was gone and the children put to bed, Link and Zelda bid their new friends good night and returned to the inn for some well-deserved rest.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Zelda's Guilt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next day, Link told Zelda there was someone he wanted her to meet. He led her east out of town, and once they were out of sight of the townsfolk he took her hand and swung it gently between them while they walked. His heart soared; he hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted this, just them, together, until he had it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you thinking?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m thinking about what we’re going to do next,” she said. “How long will we stay in Lurelin? Where will we go after this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s up to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Zelda said, looking at him directly. “It’s not just about me anymore. It’s a decision we make together. Because we love each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Link said, a bit surprised. “Alright. What ideas did you have?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking we could leave Lurelin tomorrow and visit another village. Hateno, perhaps? I’ve never been there. Or that town you helped put together. What was it called?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tarrey Town.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Tarrey Town. We could go there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link considered this. Both Hateno and Tarrey Town were good choices for destinations because they were both near the Ancient Tech Labs and he knew Purah and Robbie would be overjoyed to see Zelda. There were things he’d like to show her in both places, people he wanted her to meet. They’d pretty much exhausted Lurelin, so leaving the next day sounded reasonable to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could pay someone to take our horses to Dueling Peaks Stable and follow the beach around to Hateno. It’d be quicker than taking the road. Then when we’re finished in Hateno we could go to Tarrey Town, taking the same road through Kakariko as we took to Zora but go left to Akkala instead of right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know Hyrule quite well,” Zelda said, giving his hand a squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some areas,” he admitted. “Others, not so much. Hebra mountains for example. And the Gerudo Highlands. I did no more than I had to in those areas. I’m not a huge fan of the cold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Interesting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced over at her and caught a slight smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are we?” she asked as they crossed a land bridge into Palmorae Beach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Palmorae Beach,” he said. “But we’re here to see a friend of mine at the ruins.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two companions found the ruins, and with it they found a young man from Lurelin studying the broken monument. When he heard their footsteps, he turned and grinned at the sight of Link. Link dropped Zelda’s hand and stepped forward to clasp forearms with the man in greeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Garini! How have you been?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been swell. Trying to puzzle out if there’s anything more we can learn from this monument. Other than that I’ve been spending my days fishing and dreaming of the future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, the smile still on his face as he turned and reached out his hand to Zelda, who stepped forward and nodded a greeting to Garini.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Amy. She’s my traveling companion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Garini nodded to Zelda in return, looking her up and down as though trying to figure something out. Link was sure Garini had never seen a likeness of Zelda; few if any existed anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you looking at me like that?” Zelda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look remarkably similar to descriptions I’ve heard of Hyrule’s lost princess, Garini said thoughtfully. “But that’s impossible. She’s been gone a hundred years and you can’t be more than seventeen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate the compliment, but as you’ve said, I’m only 17,” Zelda said, glancing at Link with a small smile. “Could you tell me more about this monument?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Garini was more than happy to oblige, and while Zelda listened to him tell the story of how Link helped him figure out what the monument meant, Link decided to poke around the ruins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t much left. The remains of what might have once been a door in the cliffside as well as shards and chunks of rubble strewn around the immediate area were all that remained. Link couldn’t help but wonder if these ruins were connected to the Zonai tribe, much like the ones on the road to Lurelin as well as various locations around Hyrule. Instinctively he reached for the Sheikah Slate and realized it was still on his hip. He opened the camera function and took a few pictures of the ruins with symbols on them for future study.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he turned back to Zelda and Garini, he could tell something was wrong. Zelda was kneeling next to the monument, looking up at Garini. Her arms were crossed and her face was tight. Seemingly oblivious, Garini was still speaking. As Link drew closer he could hear the other man’s words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“--the best thing for Hyrule, really. A centralized education system would be invaluable, especially when it comes to informing the people about the events leading up to and directly following the Calamity. So many Hylians are interested in this ancient technology I’m surprised something hasn’t already been done. If the princess were here I know she would come back and reopen the Royal Ancient Lab as a university.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link immediately felt as though he should step in and get Zelda out of this situation, but reminded himself she was more than capable of holding her own in such a conversation. She was a princess, of course.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you think the princess would want to start schools?” Zelda asked cooly, her face relaxing. “Perhaps she just wants to live a normal life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In my opinion, such an action would be incredibly selfish,” Garini replied, frowning. “Lurelin especially has suffered from the lack of a central government. We’ve lost a great deal of our population simply because few people travel here, and the lack of tourism is because the road through Faron requires much more upkeep than we can manage. According to Rozel, the royal family kept the road to Faron safe and cleared. If the princess didn’t help us, we’d eventually fade into history, just like so many other towns ruined by the Calamity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link didn’t want to look at Zelda during or after Garini’s speech, but he couldn’t help but glance at her. Her expression broke his heart. She was still kneeling, but her arms had relaxed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I apologize, Garini,” she said softly. “I hadn’t considered that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Garini glanced at Link quizzically, Link assumed at Zelda’s tone, but when Link didn’t seem fazed Garini relaxed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” he said, stepping back a bit. “It was great seeing you again, Link, and meeting you, Amy. I have to go back to town and get to work. I’ll see you both later?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a wave he was gone, leaving Link with a distraught Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The exact extent of her emotion was not immediately known to Link. She managed to stay upright until Garini disappeared, but as soon as he was gone she collapsed to the ground in front of the monument and covered her face with her hands. Link sat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, but said nothing. He knew she would speak when she was ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she finally looked up to meet his gaze, he felt a jolt of pure emotion rock through him: anguish, guilt, anger. For a brief instant he saw himself as though he were looking at himself through Zelda’s eyes, but as quickly as the vision came it was gone. The emotions slowly faded, leaving him with the memory of their intensity and his own confused emotions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What just happened?” he said, forgetting his own decision to wait for Zelda to speak first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes flicked away from his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “It’s as though, for a moment, we switched minds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You felt what I felt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I felt concern and affection. I’m imagining you felt a horrific combination of grief, guilt, and anger, because that’s what I’m feeling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, his head still spinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I also saw myself through your eyes. Literally.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I saw myself through your eyes as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link shook himself, remembering why she was so upset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All that doesn’t matter right now,” he said, releasing her shoulder and scooting closer to her until their hips were touching. “What can I do to help you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned her head on his shoulder and he noticed tears were streaming down her cheeks. He put his arm around her and she buried her face in his Champion’s tunic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Zelda sat up and wiped her eyes. Link kept his arm around her and she snuggled into him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, she said, “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the one who should be sorry,” Link pointed out. “I thought you and Garini would hit it off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was nice,” she admitted. “I enjoyed him. And his opinions were valid. It was just a shock to hear my own thoughts and fears out loud.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think anyone would really blame you,” Link said. “Not once they knew what you’ve been through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to have to explain myself to everyone!” Zelda said, standing up and beginning to pace back and forth in front of him. “I just want to be me. I want the chance to figure out who I am. Without the title of princess, or daughter of the royal family. I want to be myself for the first time in my life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, leaning back against the monument. To him, all of this made sense. He’d only occasionally entertained the thought of finding a normal life, but he could see why Zelda would be more inclined to want such a thing. She’d been pressured to be something she had no idea how to be for over ten years. Even though she was strong, no one could be that strong forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then take some time,” he said. “You don’t have to stay away from the throne forever. We can stay on our kind of vacation for a few more weeks and then you can decide what to do for the rest of your life. You don’t have to decide right now, Zelda.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s something you need to read,” Link said, inspiration striking him. “After we go to Hateno, I want to go to Akkala by way of Hyrule Castle.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check out chapter previews on Wednesdays on my Tumblr, cynical.mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Old Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the late update...turns out I have COVID and quite frankly I felt horrible on Sunday.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They spent that evening asking around Lurelin to see if anyone would be willing to take their horses to the nearest stable for transfer to the Dueling Peaks Stable. Finally Garini agreed to do it and Link paid him a silver rupee in gratitude. They restocked their supplies before going to bed for the night, and in the morning they set off immediately, borrowing Rozel’s raft for the trip around Soka Point and Cape Cales.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link had a spare korok leaf tucked away in his pack, which he used to steer the raft out of the cove so they could catch the wind properly. Luckily the wind was to the north, so Link was allowed a rest and sat next to Zelda, keeping one hand on the sail to make sure it didn’t waver.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do I need to see in Hyrule Castle?” Zelda asked him, feigning disinterest by fiddling with the Sheikah Slate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link scooted so they were shoulder-to-shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your father’s journal,” he replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt Zelda tense up next to him. Glancing over at her, she was still looking intensely at the Sheikah Slate, but its screen was black. She was simply running her fingers over its design.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link thought he knew why Zelda was so hesitant to read something like her father’s journal. She didn’t want to be reminded of the past failures that still haunted her despite her recent success. They couldn’t do anything to save their departed friends, even though they saved everyone else. They couldn’t do anything to save her father.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda clipped the Sheikah Slate back to her belt and laid her head on his shoulder. She wrapped her arm around his and snuggled into his side, spreading a pleasant feeling of warmth through him. He turned and buried his face in her hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is so different,” she whispered. “Everything. All the places I visited are in ruins, the people are different because most everyone I knew has died. The only familiar thing to me is you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a sinking feeling, Link couldn’t help but wonder if that familiarity was what made her so attracted to him even after all this time. If, perhaps, he was doing something similar by trying to hold on to the last thing in existence reminding him of the life he could barely remember. Was that so wrong? She was the only person in Hyrule who could come close to understanding what he’d been through. If he tried to make a life with someone born after the Great Calamity, they’d have so few things in common he’d have to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. With Zelda he could be as messed up and confused as he wanted and she would still be his friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re thinking too much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her voice broke the melancholy spell his mind had trapped itself in; the sound of the water around them came flowing back into his ears and he became aware of their surroundings once again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” he asked, turning his head so his cheek rested against her hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could feel you freaking out,” she replied. “Your heartbeat got quicker and your body temperature rose. What were you thinking about?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Us,” he admitted, feeling sheepish. “I was thinking about whether our familiarity is a bad sign for our overall relationship. Whether we’re clinging to each other in an attempt to cut off the rest of this weird, relatively unfamiliar world.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda didn’t respond to this for a while, needing time to think through it herself. Leaving him to wonder if she really was the most familiar thing to him. He had the memories she’d left him, yes, but some of the in-between bits were still fuzzy to him. After he’d woken up he’d spent a large amount of time traveling and meeting people, making this Hyrule more familiar to him than he felt the Hyrule before the Great Calamity could ever be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link slipped his arm out of her embrace, released the sail, and pulled Zelda into a hug, trying to get the negative thoughts to go away. Even though they’d only been reunited for a few days, he knew he loved her. Her voice had followed him throughout his journey to save her; her smile had been one of the beacons guiding him on his mission. He would die for her if that was the only thing that could keep her safe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How could he not love her?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The familiarity between us could be a part of it,” Zelda said, breaking him out of his thoughts again, “but I don’t think it’s enough to cause a problem. I’ve loved you for a long time. I’m not sure what made you love me, but it’s happened since we defeated Calamity Ganon because the memories I left you weren’t conducive to convincing you to love me in a manipulative way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right,” he said. “But they definitely didn’t hurt.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They arrived in Hateno mid-afternoon thanks to Link’s use of his korok leaf. They had a quick lunch of fruits and vegetables on the raft before they reached the shore. Once they secured the raft partially on land, they walked the rest of the way to Hateno. At the gate, they were met by Thadd, who was guarding the village with a farmer’s pitchfork.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who goes there?” Thadd demanded, jabbing the pitchfork towards them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thadd, it’s me,” Link said. “I live here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, right,” the man said, standing the pitchfork on the ground and scratching his head. “Who’s this you’ve got with you though? I’ve never seen her before. She could be a monster in disguise!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took every ounce of Link’s self-control not to roll his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is my friend Amy,” he said. “We’re traveling together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess that’s okay then,” Thadd grumbled. “Just don’t cause any trouble.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link and Zelda proceeded past Thadd, and Teebo, the young boy who’d led Link to the horned statue on the edge of town, was playing in the dirt by himself. Zelda glanced at him, but didn’t speak to him. Before they could turn onto the street leading to Link’s house, they were stopped by Seldon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Greetings, travelers!” he boomed heartily. “Would you care for a tour of the village?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seldon, it’s me, Link,” Link said patiently. “I live right over there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She doesn’t,” Seldon pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for the offer, Seldon, but I believe we’ll pass,” Zelda said kindly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you say so,” the man said, a bit put out. “If you change your mind, I’ll be around!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walked away whistling some sort of tune, and Link chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This town is the biggest Hylian settlement,” he said as he led Zelda towards his home. “It’s full of some pretty interesting characters. Remind me to introduce you to the man who owns the dye shop.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They made their way past the vibrant Bolson Construction buildings and across the bridge leading over a ravine. To Link’s relief, the area around his cooking pot was vacant. Bolson, the owner of Bolson Construction, and his employee, Karson, were still in Tarrey Town after celebrating Hudson’s wedding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link ushered Zelda into the house, and the door swung shut behind them. Link threw his pack on the floor next to the door and turned to find Zelda examining the walls with wide eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“These are all the weapons you’ve collected?” she asked, letting her own pack fall to the floor and walking over to examine his wall of shields.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not all of them. Just the important ones.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda reached out and touched the Gerudo shield he’d saved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This looks like--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lady Urbosa’s,” Link finished. “When I saved Gerudo Town from Vah Naboris, Chief Riju gifted me with Lady Urbosa’s shield and scimitar.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda glanced at the scimitar and nodded. She moved to the only other true shield on the wall, the Hylian shield, and sighed, letting her hand rest on the triangular symbol of the royal family.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I haven’t seen this shield in ages,” she said. “Not since the captain of the guard wielded it during ceremonies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was gifted to me in the jail cells of Hyrule Castle after I defeated the Stalnox that lives down there,” Link explained. “The captain of the guard must have left it there for someone to claim eventually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda glanced at him from the corner of her eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you remember anything about your father?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The only thing I know about him is that he was the captain of the guard. And that this house was his, but naturally it was abandoned after the Calamity because he died.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda nodded and didn’t say anything for a while. It occurred to Link that she probably remembered his father quite well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could ask her about him, she moved on to the last object hanging on a shield mount. Link was amused to see her face wrinkle in confusion, and all thoughts of his father left his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why on earth would a pot lid be considered important enough to keep?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s very much like the one that earned me the honor to be your appointed knight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link knew she was remembering what had happened, but Link only had the memory of what he’d read in the writings left behind in her room and study. Even though he’d been chosen as the wielder of the sword that seals the darkness, King Rhoam hadn’t thought him worthy of protecting Zelda until Link had bravely, and some would say foolishly, deflected a malfunctioning guardian’s laser back at it with nothing but a pot lid. This act had earned him the king’s respect and his place as Zelda’s appointed knight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d forgotten about that,” she murmured, reaching out to run her fingers over the rough wood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda moved from the shields to the weapons, the first of which was Daruk’s Boulder Breaker. She smiled when she saw it, and Link wondered if she was remembering how Daruk had saved a Hylian retriever from bokoblins only to be terrified once he realized what he’d saved. Thankfully his quest to earn his own Divine Beast had gifted him insight into Zelda’s mission to recruit the four champions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next weapon Zelda examined was Mipha’s Lightscale Trident, which made Link a bit nostalgic. As Zelda touched the silver handle, he received a flash of memory. An image of a smaller Mipha and a younger Seggin, a flash of silver, the clash of metal. Then it was gone, leaving him slightly frustrated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The final weapon on this wall was the Scimitar of the Seven, Urbosa’s weapon. Due to the nature of Urbosa’s sacred gift, Link was surprised she’d even wielded a weapon. It would make sense, though, as surely Urbosa hadn’t been able to electrify her enemies as a child.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda moved on to the bows, the only one that was a champion’s weapon being Revali’s Great Eagle Bow. As Zelda examined its construction, Link remembered Revali in a very bittersweet way. The young Hylian missed being irritated by Revali even though the Rito was often downright rude to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other two bows on the wall were special to Link for different reasons. The Golden Bow was one of his favorites as it allowed him to shoot an arrow further than most other bows would allow. The third bow was a Silver Bow, and it was the source of the only memory from before the Great Calamity he’d earned without help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had been young, perhaps 6, and Mipha had been older than him but still about his size. It was one of the trips to Zora’s Domain she hadn’t recorded in her diary, which had surprised him. It was one of the first times they’d truly spent a decent amount of time just the two of them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not sure about this, Link,” Mipha said quietly. “I’m not strong enough yet to use a bow.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Nonsense,” Link said brightly. “You’re much better than I’ll ever be at wielding a trident, and such a weapon takes a considerable amount of strength. Especially because you’re still small, like me.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Link was holding a silver bow, the only bow that could withstand the wetness of Zora’s Domain without breaking or warping. He’d been practicing with it himself, getting used to the different feel of it, and Mipha had been accompanying him. When he glanced over and saw her interest in the weapon, he offered to teach her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Zora only use the silver bow for fishing,” she said, still hesitant.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Even more reason to learn how to use it. What if you’re on a diplomatic journey and run out of supplies? Someone has to know how to gather food.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Both of them knew such a circumstance would probably never happen as Mipha was beloved by every Zora in the Domain. But the promise of a bit more self-sufficiency tempted Mipha too much, and she allowed Link to hand her the bow.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s so heavy,” she said, weighing it in both of her hands.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s made of silver,” Link pointed out. “Every Zora weapon is heavy.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mipha held the bow as she’d seen Link do, and he stepped forward to adjust her form.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“When you draw it, you want your thumb to touch your chin,” he explained, helping her pull the string back and make sure she rested her hand in the correct place.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mipha let go of the string and it let off a satisfying </span>
  </em>
  <span>twang!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Interesting,” she said softly. “May we try it with an arrow now?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda’s voice pulled him out of the past.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where shall I sleep?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Link shook his head slightly to regain focus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can sleep on my bed and I’ll sleep down here on the floor,” he said. “I’ll be fine with my bedroll.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zelda frowned, but didn’t argue with him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical.mystic! Chapter previews on Wednesdays!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Purah</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Having Zelda in his home was strangely comforting. As he laid out his bedroll and she stowed her pack upstairs, it felt almost… domestic. Perhaps there could be a normal future for them, maybe even here in Hateno.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d have to secure another bed first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda descended the stairs and asked if they could visit the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. He finished unpacking and they set off back into the main part of town. As they walked, he waved to Nebb and his sister as they played. Nebb waved back enthusiastically but didn’t stop to chat; Narah wasn’t paying attention and simply kept running.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know those children?” Zelda asked as they passed the dye shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nebb’s grandfather loved weapons and instilled that love in Nebb,” Link explained. “As such, he asked me to bring him specific weapons he wanted to see in person. Weapons his grandfather had told him about. I spent a lot of time coming back here to show them to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was kind of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kids are more fun to hang out with than adults.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How so?” Zelda asked, nudging him with her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The kids I met asked me to do things like play tag with them and make barrels fly with balloons. Just, you know, whimsical kid stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded and slipped her arm through his as they left town. She hugged his arm as they walked, and a warmth spread through his stomach. He put his hand over hers and turned his head to kiss her hair. She chuckled and slid her hand down his arm, intertwining her fingers with his as they started to climb the hill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link was amused to see Sefaro and Azu staking out the tech lab, as usual, and Ralera sitting on her stool and watching over the windmills she and her husband, Rhodes, were responsible for. The familiar sights brought him a sense of comfort, especially with Zelda by his side. He was filled with a sense of optimism as they approached the door to the tech lab.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dropping his hand, Zelda pushed the door open and they stepped inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahhhhhhhh!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link thought his ears would bleed at the sound of Purah’s screech, and was almost certain Sefaro and Azu had something to add to their notes about the tech lab.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe it!” Purah shrieked, jumping up and down on the chair she was standing on. “Princess Zelda has returned to us! And she’s cut her hair!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda looked at Link, obviously considerably confused, and Link remembered he had forgotten to warn her about Purah’s condition. Before Link could say anything, Purah continued speaking, thankfully at a normal volume this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can see you’re confused as to why I’m so young,” she said. “I may or may not have messed around a bit with a rune I was trying to create for my own Sheikah Slate. I was hoping to create a rune that would make old soldiers young again. Naturally I tested it on myself and here are the results.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Zelda said, somewhere between intrigued and concerned. “You look great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know!” Purah trilled. “So do you! Now, tell us all about defeating Calamity Ganon. What was he like? How did you defeat him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link and Zelda took a seat at the table Purah was at, and proceeded to tell the story. Link described the blights and Ganon as strange beings composed of ancient technology and malice, describing in detail the weapons they wielded and abilities they had as Purah furiously took notes. He also described the role the divine beasts played in significantly weakening Ganon for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When it came to describing Calamity Ganon, Zelda stepped in and explained how Link’s defeat of the form Ganon had been trying to create while she’d held him prisoner caused the malice he was composed of to form a giant boar-like monster. Link described the light bow and how Zelda was able to create weak points all over Ganon so he could be attacked, as well as how the final blow was dealt to a malice eye that erupted from the boar’s forehead. Zelda finished the story by explaining how she’d used her sealing power to cause Calamity Ganon to dissipate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did the light bow come from?” Purah asked, tongue sticking out as she continued to write furiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a weapon from the sacred realm,” Zelda said. “A weapon from the goddess. I was able to grant it to Link for the duration of the fight, but once Ganon was defeated it returned to its rightful owner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Purah nodded, still scribbling, and they sat in silence for several long minutes as she finished writing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link,” she said, sitting back and going over her notes again. “Is it possible…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he asked, leaning forward to look at her notes too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran her finger under her neat handwriting about Link’s description of the weapon Waterblight wielded as well as Thunderblight’s hair, and said, “Could it be possible that the blights are… well… the corrupted bodies of the Champions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked at Zelda, horrified at this revelation, then even more so that it didn’t seem to surprise her. She glanced at him apologetically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had my suspicions when I was watching over your battles with them,” she said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young Hylian sat back in his chair, mentally reviewing the appearances of all the blights and comparing them to the Champions they each destroyed. The thought that he’d been fighting the corrupted bodies of his former friends sickened him more than anything else he’d ever had to deal with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought of Mipha, her voice in his head telling him how she would always be there to heal him, and then of course his mind began to picture her attempting to fight not a fully formed Waterblight, but a grotesque Malice form that consumed her physical body, killed her, and then used it to make its own body in a twisted version of her image.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt Zelda’s hand on his arm, trying to pull him back, but he couldn’t escape it. The fear on Mipha’s face in his mind was too intense, and everything inside him wanted to save her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He imagined Daruk and Urbosa facing the same thing, never feeling fear until it was too late, and Revali trying in vain to escape but not being able to because his own pride wouldn’t let him just run away. His mind presented him with the images of his friends’ faces twisted in fear, and he couldn’t shake them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the end it was Purah who snapped him out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link!” she cried, shaking him by the shoulder. “Everything is fine. The Champions are safe now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked, and kept blinking until the images were gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link took a deep breath, and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a weight we must carry,” Zelda said softly. “But you’re not alone, Link. We’re here for you. We’re grieving too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded again, unable to look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent,” Purah said, slightly less bubbly than before but putting on a good face. “Thank you both so much for this information. It’s going to be so helpful in designing new weapons, ones that won’t be able to be affected by malice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s look of confusion made Purah pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is of course your plan, Princess?” she asked. “Preparing for the next altercation with Calamity Ganon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda leaned forward, her arms on the table and her fingertips pressed together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Purah, there isn’t going to be another Calamity Ganon. When he became Dark Beast Ganon, he gave up the ability to resurrect in order to gain full access to his power.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could you possibly know that?” Purah demanded. “You’re telling me this enemy we’ve been defeating over and over again for millennia is gone just like that? Because he thought Link wouldn’t be able to defeat him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Zelda said. “Being in the sacred realm gave me incredible insight into how Calamity Ganon formed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe this,” Purah said, collapsing into her chair. “Everything we’ve been working towards is over, just like that. What’s our purpose now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link and I are going to continue traveling throughout Hyrule, and you and Robbie can continue your research how you please. Perhaps fixing the aging rune could be a priority now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When will you take the throne?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda glanced at Link, who didn’t react. He knew this question would come.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t decided whether I’m going to take the throne,” Zelda said slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Purah’s jaw dropped, and in the corner where Symin was, several books crashed to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Purah shrieked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been given the opportunity to live my life the way I want to,” Zelda said, her voice even. “I plan to utilize this time to determine whether I should be queen. Whether my rule would be the best way for me to serve Hyrule’s citizens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a considerable amount of time for Purah to construct a response to this. Once she did, she was forced to agree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A queen who doesn’t want to rule is a queen who won’t rule well,” she sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for understanding,” Zelda said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything we can do for you while you’re here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t think of anything,” Zelda replied, looking at Link, who shook his head. “We just wanted to fill you in on what happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright then,” Purah said, hopping down from her chair. “Where is your next stop?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyrule Castle,” Link said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent choice. It’s probably a good idea to poke about before the travelers realize it’s safe. They’d have the place emptied in a heartbeat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The only valuable things left are Zelda and King Rhoam’s journals,” Link said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those are probably some of the most valuable things left,” Purah pointed out.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic! Chapter excerpts every Wednesday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Self-Defense</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! I apologize for my absence these past two weeks. Depression on top of COVID is... not fun. Anyway, my plan is to upload a chapter today, tomorrow, and Sunday to get us back on track. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>On their way back to Link’s house, they stopped in at the Ventest Clothing Boutique to requisition another traveling outfit for Zelda. Sophie said the color wouldn’t  be quite the same, as silent princesses were in short supply, but Zelda assured her it would be quite alright as she wanted the same outfit but in green. Sophie eagerly accepted the challenge, sketching Zelda’s outfit from several angles and taking many measurements before allowing them to leave. When Zelda asked when she’d be finished, Sophie promised she’d have the outfit complete by the next afternoon, but if she wanted it to be green they’d have to take it to Kochi Dye Shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder if there’s a lot of shared business between the clothing boutique and the dye shop,” Zelda mused as they crossed the bridge to Link’s house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I definitely gave them some,” he said, holding the door open for her. “I bought my soldier’s armor from Sophie and took it to Sayge to dye it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded as the door swung shut behind them, and they were alone once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of going up to bed, as he’d expected, Zelda took a seat at the table. Link sat across from her and waited for her to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To keep himself from thinking about the blights again, he decided to think about King Rhoam’s diary. He wanted Zelda to see it because he had a strong feeling her father would want her to know what he was thinking of her when he’d died. That he’d finally realized it wasn’t her fault she couldn’t unlock her sealing power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This led to him thinking about accessing the king’s study through the library, and the monsters most likely waiting for them there. He tried to remember what they’d encounter, and decided it would depend entirely on how they entered the castle. The guardians were all deactivated, but there were still some strong enemies around, especially on the path. There was a lionel in each gate house, and the interior of the castle was full of lizalfos and moblins. He’d defeated the stalnox in the basement but couldn’t remember if he’d done it before or after the most recent blood moon and decided to keep it on the list of things to deal with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to learn how to fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This startled Link, and all thoughts of Hyrule Castle fled from his mind. He looked at Zelda, and she was leaning back in her chair, hands folded on her lap, studying him closely. Shaking his head to focus, Link looked back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. What weapon would you prefer?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s eyes flicked over the weapons he had hanging on the wall. As she considered he thought about mentioning the other weapon types, but kicked himself mentally because of course she knew about them. The royal guard had equipped various weapons depending on each person’s preference. He didn’t need to tell her about them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes stopped on the wall behind him and he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A bow then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think so,” she said thoughtfully. “I didn’t get to use the light bow, but I enjoyed watching you use it. I’d like to be able to do the same.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I used my time slowing power during that fight,” he pointed out. “I can’t teach you how to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. Your shooting was still beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link felt his cheeks warm and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What bow do you think you’d like to try with? The Great Eagle Bow wouldn’t be a good place to start as it’s one of the hardest to draw I’ve ever encountered. In my pack I have a Royal Bow, as well as a Savage Lynel Bow, but those are also more difficult to draw.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda stood and went to the wall. Link spun in his chair and watched her. She looked between the Golden Bow and the Silver Bow, her brows furrowed in concentration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’d like to learn with the Silver Bow,” she said finally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link swallowed, thinking about Mipha again. Her face, delighted at her success with the bow, flashed in his mind, and he held on to it, trying to keep Waterblight from coming back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he said. “It’s by far the best choice when it comes to what I have on hand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning found them outside Link’s house after breakfast, using the full-grown tree as target practice. Zelda quickly picked up on the form required to shoot a bow, but struggled with the strength required. She could only draw it about half way despite the bow being relatively easy. As such, she could effectively loose the arise and Link decided their time would be better spent working on Zelda’s strength. After they returned the bow to its mount and returned to the yard, Link realized he probably shouldn’t have helped Zelda so much with the climbing they’d been doing. She’d probably be further along if he hadn’t assisted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s do some basic stretches to warm up,” Link said, planting his feet shoulder-width apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda copied his stance and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just follow my lead.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link led her through arm stretches, toe touches, and windmills before sitting down and leading her through various stretches for their legs and torso. Once they were finished they stood and Zelda was breathing heavily. Link offered her his water pouch and she drank deeply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What next?” she asked, returning his pouch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now we’ll do some pushups and planks,” he said. “If you’re going to be an archer, we need to build up your upper body strength.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded and Link could tell she was apprehensive. He showed her how to properly perform her plank and helped her achieve the correct form before having her hold it for 30 counts. Once he said 30 she collapsed into the grass, but he was impressed. He let her rest for a bit before showing her how to do a pushup, and then performing 10 with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time they’d finished, Zelda was breathing even more heavily. Link sat next to her as she rested, a bit confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you so out of shape?” he asked. “Yes you’ve been in the spirit realm for 100 years, but before that and since then you’ve done a considerable amount of walking and climbing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t answer for a few moments, and Link realized such a question was probably extremely rude. Before he could apologize, she answered him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is completely different,” she explained. “I’ve never had to support my own weight in such a way before. Even when we were climbing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know where we can get you your own bow. There’s an archery camp on our way to Dueling Peaks Stable, and I know there are a few bows there. It was abandoned a while ago but from what I could tell everything there was in pretty good shape.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Zelda replied. “Let’s walk to the stable after lunch and stay there for the night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a plan,” Link said, jumping to his feet and offering his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took it and he pulled her to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for teaching me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just excited you want to learn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After lunch they went to pick up Zelda’s new traveling outfit and visited the dye shop to have it dyed. Zelda was less than amused at the process of dying, and when she emerged from the tank she thanked Sayge almost coldly. When they left Zelda chose to wear her new outfit in lieu of the original as they headed towards Dueling Peaks Stable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a very similar green to the outfit gifted to me by the monks after I completed all the shrines,” Link commented as they walked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? What outfit was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s called the outfit of the wild. It’s modeled after the ones the heroes of legend have worn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I see it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At some point,” Link said. “It’s a little goofy, so maybe not any time soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How goofy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link sighed and swung his pack around so he could dig inside it. He pulled out the hat for the outfit and put it on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda hid her mouth with her hand but couldn’t help herself; she let out the most adorable chuckle Link had ever heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It suits you,” she teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hush,” he said, taking the hat off and shoving it back in his pack. “It looks ridiculous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not on you,” she said fondly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He flushed pink and dropped the subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not long after this conversation, they arrived at the abandoned archery camp. Link had Zelda wait at the entrance while he dealt with the monsters who lived in the middle of the circular path. Once they were gone and he’d raided them for what equipment he thought would be useful, he waved her over and they approached the small building housing the abandoned weapons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he pushed open the door, it smelled dusty and old. Zelda entered wide-eyed, trying to look everywhere at once. It was the first truly abandoned place they’d visited since Ganon’s defeat, so she was intrigued. Link found the weapon they’d come for and brushed off the dust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a Traveler’s Bow,” he said, grabbing a quiver as well. “It doesn’t do much damage, but like the Silver Bow it’s an excellent place to start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link helped her strap the bow and quiver on. She adjusted them on her shoulders and glanced back at them, her eyebrows scrunching together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do I get it easily? It seems pretty well attached.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He demonstrated how he retrieved his bow to fire it, and she mirrored his movements until she had it down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be an archer yet,” he said cheerfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening walking to Dueling Peaks Stable where they were greeted by their horses. Link bought them two beds, and before they went to bed Zelda asked him if they could do some more stretches. He obliged, leading her through some of the same stretches they’d done that morning as well as a few pushups. Once she was satisfied, they went to bed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. King Rhoam's Last Words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After their new morning routine of exercise and breakfast, Link and Zelda set off to Hyrule Castle. They spent the ride talking about their childhoods. Because Zelda was the princess, her history was well-known to Link. However, he was slightly more mysterious to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know your father was a knight,” she said. “One of the best. Good enough to be in my father’s personal guard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I was following in his footsteps as soon as I could walk from what I’ve learned since I woke up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember anything about your home life?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link tried to picture his childhood home. In his head it looked remarkably similar to the house he had in Hateno. A whisper of a woman’s singing voice echoed in his ears but he couldn’t place the voice or the song. The hearty chuckle of a man rang in the back of his mind, but again he had no way of knowing who it truly was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think my mother sang while she worked,” he said slowly. “And my father was quick with a laugh. Until my mother died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s head turned quickly at this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your mother died?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surely she did. You know nothing of her and she’s never mentioned when anyone talks about my story. I had to have had one, obviously, but she must have died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rode for a few minutes in silence as Zelda considered this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we can find some record of her in the castle,” she suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would there be a record of her in the castle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Before the Calamity, every marriage was reported to the castle. Maybe the records stayed intact.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After a hundred years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can hope, can’t we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the ride was spent discussing other things they could possibly find in the castle as well as Link clearing as many of the monsters left in the ruins as they encountered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they arrived at the gates to Castle Town, they pulled up on the reins and stopped to consider the carnage. Link noted several piles of Guardian parts he knew Purah would love to get her hands on. Zelda was looking off to the right and he tried to follow her gaze, but couldn’t figure out what she was looking at.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking about the Hyrule Cathedral,” she said in answer to Link’s glance. “And about how my father never received a proper funeral.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think he did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Zelda demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link spurred his horse on and explained as they made their way to the castle at a walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I was on the Great Plateau, there was an old man who helped guide me. One of the shrines I had to enter was in the freezing part of the plateau, and I used spicy elixir made with spicy peppers and monster parts to brave the cold. I decided to explore and made my way to the top of Mount Hylia. At the top I found a stone cairn and the old man, who gave me a warm doublet for making it so far on my own. Once I completed the tasks the old man set before me, he revealed who he truly was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The old man who helped me was your father, and I think that stone cairn on top of Mount Hylia is his grave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a good thing they had stopped in front of the castle gates at this point, as Zelda slid off her saddle. Link barely made it out of his own saddle in time to catch her, and they ended up on the ground together, Zelda in Link’s lap and their horses huffing in concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who would have buried him?” she asked weakly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link didn’t answer, mostly because he couldn’t but also because he didn’t think she wanted him to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held her for a long while before she sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should continue,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link helped her to her feet and held her hand tightly as she looked up at the doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One hundred years ago there were guards who would open and close the doors as needed,” Zelda said almost wistfully. “It took four for each door because they’re so heavy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a better way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going around?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at the gate and chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we could go around. Honestly I hadn’t thought of that until you mentioned it. But I’ve got a much cooler way to open the doors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link took the Sheikah Slate from Zelda’s belt and opened the rune selection. He chose magnesis, selected the doors, and pulled. The heavy metal doors groaned on their tracks as they opened. Once they were as wide as they could be, Link remembered something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In his mind the doors were much larger. There was someone standing next to him; Link had a glimpse of a black armband on the person’s arm. He got the impression of something on his own arm. Before he could focus more on either of those things, they slipped away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you thinking?” Zelda asked softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at her and her eyes were wide. Looking down, he realized he was holding his arm where he thought something was in the memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dropping his hand, he said, “I had a memory. A flash of something. I couldn’t quite place it though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded and took his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shall we go inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After about two hours of navigating the inner and outer part of the castle to get to the library and Link killing everything they met along the way, they finally arrived. Link quickly dispatched the lizalfos in the room as well as the ones on the upper level. He showed Zelda how to use the Magnesis rune, and she pulled away the bookshelf leading to her father’s study.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Zelda’s POV</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When she saw the book laying on her father’s desk, she knew why Link had wanted her to come. She asked him to wait out in the library proper so she could be semi-alone with her father’s last words. Link nodded, gently brushed her arm, and stepped away. Zelda walked into her father’s study and sat down at his desk, the journal lying open in front of her. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and began to read.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Today, as the sun rose and a new day was born, my daughter, too, joined this sweet world. In keeping with the traditions of the royal family, I have decided to name her...Zelda. I am not a man accustomed to frivolous musings, but now seems as good a time as any to begin my royal memorandum.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grimace, Zelda couldn’t help but agree with her father’s admission to being unaccustomed to frivolous musings. He had been a decisive man, comfortable in power, and sometimes hard. But he was her father, and she still missed him even though a tiny voice deep in her heart whispered that maybe she was better off.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Reports keep arriving regarding the excavation of relics. The fortune teller’s predictions seem to be coming true. Calamity Ganon was not a figure of fable, or even of legend. He actually existed in our great land of Hyrule. We must investigate all the relics, learn as much as we can. But understanding the Divine Beasts alone will take time… Zelda’s eyes lit up like a wildfire when I told her about the relics… I must admit, she has a knack for research.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The princess had no memory of this, but it made her smile. Even before her mother passed she was interested in the ancient technology. Could this be what she was meant to do? Did Hylia even want her to be queen?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My queen has left this world. Her death was so sudden and unexpected, I awaken most nights unsure if she is really gone. Zelda never cried, never faltered. Not even during the royal funeral or later when she and I were alone with our grief. I must assume her strength is a result of us repeatedly informing her of her duty to be a valiant and steady princess. For a child of merely six years of age, her conduct was truly that of a born leader. Her strength gives me home. From now on, I must raise her all alone… Now, only I remain to prepare her for her difficult future as princess of Hyrule.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s stomach turned sour after reading this entry. Yes, her strength was a result of being repeatedly informed of her duty. As such, she was robbed of the chance to adequately grieve for her mother. She was only six years old; she should have been allowed to cry. For a moment, Zelda let hatred towards her father burn in her heart. He had always been more concerned with Hyrule than with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Zelda finally reported back after her visit to the fountain. It seems her sacred sealing power has still yet to awaken. It has been a year and three months since her mother passed. Perhaps she is held back by heartache too deep to heal. If the Ganon prophecy wasn’t looming over our heads, I would tell her to take her time… To wait until she is ready. But our situation is dire and leaves no room for weakness--even on behalf of my beloved daughter. My heart breaks for Zelda, but I must act as a king, not a father. I must order her to train relentlessly at the fountain.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, Zelda wanted to scream. There had been no reason for him to act as a king and not a father. Ordering people to do things didn’t always make them happen! Especially when it came to awakening her power. Her eyes ran over the last sentence again and a huff escaped her. Praying at the fountain could hardly have been called “training.” All she’d done her entire life to “train” was pray to a goddess that wasn’t listening.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I was told Zelda went off to research ancient technology, so I had no choice but to confront her about it. She claims she was simply using her day off from training to indulge in a bit of research, but I still scolded her. She won’t get it through her head… Forcing me to tell her the same thing I have been repeating ad nauseam. The reason her sacred powers still won’t awaken is because she’s spending all her efforts playing at being a scholar!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda’s hand tightened on this page, almost ripping it from the book. Tears sprang to her eyes and she closed them, biting her lip. The memory, one of the ones she’d left for LInk, sprung to her mind and she tried to fight it but she couldn’t. She could see the anger on her father’s face. Feel the shame in her chest. If her father were in front of her at that moment she would slap him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“In truth, I understand Zelda’s feelings. Painfully so. She lost her mother, her teacher, before she could learn from her. Ten pointless years of self-training, without so much as a book or note to help her find her way… Those in the castle talk behind her back. And I, her only family, scold her for her shortcomings. No wonder she wishes to hide away in her beloved relic research. I’d love nothing more than to console her… But I must stay strong. She MUST fulfill her duty, just as we all must. Even if she comes to despise me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was this more than anything that made Zelda not want to be queen. She simply couldn’t see herself putting Hyrule and its people above the things she loved: Link and ancient technology. She also couldn’t understand how her father had been willing to sacrifice his relationship with her for the sake of Hyrule. They were all each other had had left and he had treated her horribly. The fact he could see her point of view did little to make her feel better. It almost made it worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I have been told my Zelda went to the Spring of Wisdom… This will likely be her last chance. If she is unable to awaken her power at Lanayru, all hope is truly lost. If she comes back without success, then I shall speak kindly with her. Scolding is pointless now. I forced 10 years of training on her… and after all that, it seems her power will stubbornly awaken some other way. Perhaps I should encourage her to keep researching her beloved relics. They may just lead her to answers I can’t provide. For now, I sit anxiously, more a father than a king in this moment. I sit and await my father’s return.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda had to read this entry three times, and still something didn’t sound right. This didn’t sound like the father she knew. The father who had forced her to try to awaken a sacred power and withheld any signs of love or affection while she tried again and again unsuccessfully. She hadn’t been doing it for Hyrule or any supposed duty; she’d been doing it to try to convince her father she was worthy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps that was why she couldn’t get her power to awaken. She was doing it for the wrong reasons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Knowing this was the last entry, Zelda sat back and thought about what she’d read. She had a hard time believing her father would have apologized to her if she’d returned from Mount Lanayru in time. The young princess tried to picture her father opening his arms for a hug, but she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a hug before the Calamity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced out the opening to the study and saw Link examining the spines of some of the surviving books. Zelda closed her father’s journal, shut it in the drawer of his desk, and stood. She made her way to where Link was standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, which she returned with a smile.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Glimpses of the Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They made their way back to the dining hall, Link took care of the moblins, and they made lunch from the food they scavenged from the room. After they ate, Zelda wanted to return to the library and see if there were any other surviving books. Once there, Link found himself returning to the shelf he’d been examining while Zelda read her father’s diary even though the books there were nothing more than charred remains of the past.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After ensuring there was nothing to glean from these books, he slowly moved on to other shelves while Zelda performed a similar examination on the other side of the room. He reached out and touched a book that looked unharmed, but it crumbled to dust under his fingers. The lizalfos had really done a number on this place, not to mention the initial Ganon and Guardian attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he searched for a book, any book, his mind wandered to the day of the Calamity. He knew where he had been thanks to Zelda’s memories. They’d just returned from Mount Lanayru where Zelda had tried unsuccessfully to activate her sealing power. The other Champions were consoling her when the ground began to shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next memory she’d left him was of the two of them running away from Hyrule Castle. From what Zelda said in this memory he’d gathered everyone had died and they’d narrowly escaped with their own lives. She’d cried in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought about Ganon’s malice wrecking the bodies of his friends and shook the images away with the final memory Zelda had left him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was in Blatchery Plain, just before Fort Hateno. Link had been defending them from all the Guardians he could, but it eventually became too much. As he stood between Zelda and yet another Guardian, it aimed its laser at him. Zelda threw herself between them and her sealing power awoke, spreading over the entire field and deactivating all the Guardians in the area. She saved Link’s life, but just barely. She had him taken to the Shrine of Resurrection where he could heal. She went to face Ganon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link wished he could remember what had happened in the castle. Or at least knew someone who knew, as they’d probably arrived too late to deal with the initial attack in which Zelda’s father had died. Looking around, he tried to piece together what happened in this room but he couldn’t. There was simply too much damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glancing across the room, Link noticed Zelda had managed to accumulate a stack of books three high. He shook his head and returned his focus to the shelves in front of him. After scouring the entire library they surveyed their haul of about ten books, all in varying stages of ruin, but with most of their contents readable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s getting late,” Zelda said, resting her hand on their stack. “We should probably begin to think about where we’re going to sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know of only one bed still in the castle, but we’d have to climb and it’d have to be dug out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda tilted her head and he explained the hallway leading to her bedroom was filled with debris, but could still be accessed from outside the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you tired of fighting monsters?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grin, Link said, “I could do this all day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Outside the castle, the sun was falling in the sky and in some places the two companions were cast in complete shadow. Making it to the wall they would have to climb was easy enough; the climb itself was the difficult part. Zelda had never scaled an almost completely flat surface before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could climb and throw down a rope,” she suggested as the two of them tried to decide how to proceed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I still had Revali’s Gale,” Link sighed as he checked to make sure he had enough rope. “You could just climb on my back and we’d be up there in no time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder if your loss of the Champions’ abilities has to do with them departing this plane once and for all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” Link said, throwing the rope over his shoulder. “I’ll throw this down for you as soon as I get up there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The climb didn’t take him long, and soon he was tying the rope to a parapet and throwing it down for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as she grabbed it and began to use it to climb. A nervousness sat in his chest until she was within arm’s reach and he could pull her the rest of the way up. Once they were both on solid ground, he pulled her into a tight hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She chuckled and he let her go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s so funny?” he asked, turning to pull the rope back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were worried about me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Why is that funny?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not so much funny,” she admitted. “I guess laughing was my way of appreciating it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded, smiling slightly as he secured the rope in his pack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they approached the hole in the wall that would lead them to Zelda’s room, she glanced over at the tower holding what was once her study. Before she could ask, Link answered her question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s relatively untouched. You can go through it any time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’ll leave that for the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded as he crouched, trying to get a sight on the moblin he knew was in Zelda’s room. He pulled out his Savage Lynel Bow and nocked an arrow. Taking careful aim right at the moblin’s head, he loosed his bow. With a few more shots, the moblin was no more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Zelda carefully lowered themselves into the room and Zelda looked around while Link collected his arrows. He threw his pack on the floor near the fireplace and turned to Zelda. She was next to the bed, running her fingers over the torn and charred fabric.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here,” he said, approaching the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabbed what had once been the top of her four-poster and pulled; slowly but surely he managed to wrest it off the bed and against the wall. After that it was a simple matter of shaking out the blankets, sheets, and pillows, and returning the bed to a slightly flatter version of what it once was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda put her pack down next to the bed and gently sat on the edge of it. A small smile spread across her face and she bounced a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s still as comfortable as it ever was,” she said brightly. “A Rito down bed of the highest quality. We’ll have to tell them their beds will survive calamities.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link chuckled and went to retrieve his bedroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused crouched next to his pack and turned his head to look at Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This bed is huge. We could easily share it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link fell back into a sitting position. What she was saying made sense, especially as hardly anyone knew they were there and no one would be able to reach them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still. She was a princess and he wasn’t even a knight anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link, Hyrule Kingdom doesn’t exist anymore,” Zelda said softly. “Not until I say it does. Today I’d like nothing more than to share a bed with you, if you’re alright with such an arrangement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he’d been in love with Zelda a relatively short time, thoughts of intimacy had not escaped him. He was thankful to her for not expecting something of that nature from him, as he’d never been intimate with anyone and didn’t want to do so lightly. He thought about what it would be like waking next to Zelda and the decision was made for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would be honored,” he said, standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” she said almost shyly. “I’d like to look through some of those books before we go to bed though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and dug into his pack for the ones he’d taken. She retrieved hers, and came to sit by the fireplace with him. He pulled the chair over so she could sit and lit the fire as light was not seeping into this room very well. Link sat on the floor in front of Zelda and leaned back against her chair; she was sitting in it cross-legged as she opened the first book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them examined their respective books by the light of the fire and Link discovered he was in possession of an eclectic collection of knowledge. The first book he looked over covered the history of the relationship between the Hylians and the Zora, most of which he knew because of the Zora Monuments one of their elders had asked him to track down and examine. The one piece of new information he gleaned was that Mipha had not been even the second Zora princess to fall in love with a Hylian knight. A few thousand years before them, there had been another pair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second book was far less interesting. It detailed exactly how to dye fabrics in the traditional Hateno way, including diagrams of the dying vats and the platforms above for people to stand with their ingredients. The only use for such a book would be to gift it to Hateno’s dye shop, but as they were practicing according to tradition he doubted they would find it helpful. As he set it aside, he wondered if they even knew how to read.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The third book was a record of marriages from before the Calamity, but after a careful examination Link determined it wasn’t the one they would need to discover who his mother had been or what had happened to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fourth book was the most interesting by far. It was a Gerudo history book detailing the various belief systems they’d held throughout millenia. He read about the Spirit Temple which was dedicated to the Goddess of the Sand. It was built by women as a Gerudo male was only born once every hundred years. He also read more about the Seven Heroines, as well as the Eighth and a tale of why she’d been excluded.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The Eight Heroines were the heroines of skill, spirit, endurance, knowledge, flight, motion, gentleness, and desire. The other seven feared the power of Desire and didn’t want their followers consumed by such an intense feeling; as such, Desire was forced out. She made a place for herself and her followers deep in the Gerudo Highlands, seldom to be heard from again.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Link had decided Rotana, the Gerudo woman trying to become a recognized archaeologist, needed this book, Zelda gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Link asked, twisting around to try to look over the top of the book she was reading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Rito are descendants from the Zora?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda turned the book around and he was able to read for himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Long ago, there was a great flood which ravaged the land of Hyrule. It was Hylia’s response to the peoples’ prayers that Ganon be defeated, as a hero hadn’t been born to save them. As such, the world was flooded and the people came to live on mountaintops which had become islands due to the massive amount of water Hylia loosed on the land. The Zora adapted to this by evolving wings, so they could fly above the waters quickly and efficiently, becoming the Rito. They still reproduced by laying eggs.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Link demanded. “That doesn’t make any sense! Zora are literally water dwellers. Why would they need wings to survive in a world of water?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe the water was uninhabitable,” Zelda said thoughtfully. “I think I remember Mipha talking about one of the trials she had to do to be deemed worthy by Ruta. Wasn’t there one in the middle of the ocean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I remember her saying it took her a week to get all the salt from the ocean out of her system. Maybe the waters of Hyrule were like that. Too salty for the Zora to bear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even if that’s the case, how did the Zora survive to exist today if all of them evolved to be Rito?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps some remained in another land untouched by the waters,” Zelda suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s probably just a legend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you find anything interesting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He summarized his findings, and Zelda nodded thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All very interesting. I can’t believe I was never taught any of this in my lessons.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shrugging, Link said, “I never learned it either, but I attended public school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda sighed and closed the Rito book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should probably go to bed. We can finish looking over these in the morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the middle of the night, Link shot up, an idea having occurred to him as his sleeping brain processed what he’d read. He turned and vigorously shook Zelda awake. Her eyes flew open and she looked at him, concerned and a little scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” she asked, sitting up herself. “Are we being attacked?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Link said, shaking with excitement. “I just realized something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why hasn’t another Gerudo male been born?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Lament of the Zonai</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning found the two of them munching on various fruits as Link poured over the Gerudo book again, taking notes, and Zelda tried to decipher the final book they’d found. After Link’s midnight revelation, they’d agreed to look into this matter as soon as it was light. Zelda was hoping the final book would provide some insight as well, as it had to do with lost cultures of Hyrule and might mention why a core part of the Gerudo tradition hadn’t occurred since the birth of Ganondorf millenia ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link found a list of all the Gerudo kings in the back of the book. The last name on the list was Ganondorf’s, but none of the names were accompanied by years. As he scoured the middle of the book for more information about the last Gerudo king, he couldn’t help but think back to the history lessons he’d been subjected to after his return from Korok Forest with the master sword before the Calamity. All this reading on Ganondorf brought it all back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>According to one legend, after the Hero of Time was sent back to relive his childhood due to the princess’s guilt about him losing it, he reported Ganondorf’s plot to the then-king of Hyrule, causing Ganondorf to be banished to the Twilight realm. However, generations later the evil king used a member of the Twilight realm to do his bidding and managed to return; the Hero of Twilight killed him with the master sword, but no one knew what happened to his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another legend had the result of a world without the Hero of Time, leading to the great flood he and Zelda had discussed the day before. Ganondorf had been sealed away in the flooded Hyrule Kingdom but managed to return. The Hero of Wind killed him with the master sword as well, and Ganondorf turned to stone and sank back beneath the sea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A third legend was the result of the Hero of Time’s defeat, where Ganon vanishes after the Hero of Hyrule defeated him. Prior to this he had been revived and defeated by yet another of the hero’s incarnations, and after the Hero of Hyrule’s story another hero prevented yet another return of Ganon by defeating those who were trying to revive him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link couldn’t begin to imagine where he would fit into all the legends. With his luck, he’d probably end up being one of the heroes of legend that was determined to be truly legend. One of these heroes stuck out to him, but he could only remember the hero’s name: the Hero of the Triforce. Try as he might he couldn’t remember the hero’s story, as his tutor had spent little time on it. As this era’s hero he’d only been forced to memorize the stories of those who had been deemed history as well as legend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words on the page drew Link out of his own head, and he forced himself to focus on the information about Ganondorf, all of which aligned with what he’d learned about the Hero of Time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After recounting the story of the Hero of Time as well as the various possibilities of his fate, the book went on to recount the rest of the religious beliefs of the Gerudo. With a sigh, Link shut the book. His notes were short and not terribly useful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could ask Zelda how her research was going, she gasped and called him over. He went to stand behind her so he could read over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The end of the Zonai was deliberate, swift, and completely unjustified.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>After the Zonai leaders completed the important task set to them by Hyrule’s Royal Family, they were rewarded with genocide. The Royal Family demanded they leave their home in the Faron Region, but the tribe did not go quietly. The resulting war left the Zonai tribe a ghost of themselves; children were stolen from their mothers and adopted to Hylian families, women were married off to Hylian men, and the Zonai men were all but killed. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A few families survived by surrendering and retreated to the farthest shore from Hyrule Castle they could find. They built a humble village and survived on seafood. None of them tried to leave the village, which ensured their survival. For the first generations of its existence the village was guarded heavily to ensure such a thing couldn’t occur. The Royal Family didn’t want the Zonai tribespeople to search for their lost children throughout Hyrule, or even their other tribespeople.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Eventually the Royal Family determined they were wasting resources keeping the Zonai descendants under constant guard. After several generations of intermingling with Hylians, it was determined that the Zonai descendants had lost their ability to perform magic. They were left alone to become a normal fishing village and contribute to Hyrule’s economy. They had proven themselves quite adept at forgetting their culture and starting fresh; as such, they were left to themselves.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The single bright spot in this horrific tale is the attempts of the Zonai’s friend, the Sheikah tribe, to preserve their culture. When the Sheikah advanced technologically and determined trials would be necessary for training Hyrule’s next hero, 120 monks volunteered to design and watch over the shrines that would hold the trials for the next hero. One monk settled himself in a former Zonai structure, while three erected labyrinths based on the Zonai style to house their shrines and relics of their culture. One additional monk settled himself amidst the ruins of their original home. With this, they kept alive the memory of the tribe who had helped them develop their first technological innovations despite the Royal Family’s attempts to eradicate them from Hyrule.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was this loyalty, perhaps, just as much as the Sheikah’s advanced technology, that saw them meet a similar but much less horrific fate after their creations were used to defeat Calamity Ganon.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Link and Zelda sat in shock after reading the final pages of the book. For the longest time, neither of them could speak. When one of them finally did, Zelda completely surprised Link.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are two burning questions I have after reading this,” she said. “What was the important task set to the Zonai by the Royal Family, and how did the Zonai assist the Sheikah in their technological advancements?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link scratched the back of his head, more than a little confused by her lack of emotion. Had they been reading the same text?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would have thought you would be more surprised at the events that befell the Zonai tribe,” he said carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am positively horrified,” Zelda said matter-of-factly. “But I wish I could say I find it hard to believe. If my own father can drive me to hate myself because of my inability to unlock my sealing power despite the fact I had no one to teach me, it’s reasonable to believe a previous monarch ordered the annihilation of an entire people group. I’d just like to know why.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fair,” Link admitted. “How should we go about answering your questions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have three questions to answer. You’re forgetting yours from last night: Why hasn’t there been another Gerudo male? Something is telling me all of these things are connected.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. Where do we start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kakariko,” Zelda said decisively. “The first question I’d like answered is how the Zonai helped the Sheikah with their technology.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Old Bones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They made the trip to Kakariko in record time. Galloping left no room for conversation, leaving Link with his thoughts for the entirety of the trip. He found himself trying to remember the Hero of the Triforce, but for the life of him couldn’t recall any more information than his title. His thoughts moved to the Zonai tribe, but that only caused him sadness so he pushed them out of his mind for the time being. One day he and Zelda would allow themselves to feel for the lost people of the Zonai tribe, but today they needed more information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their horses skidded through Kakariko’s gates and Link backflipped off his steed, anxious to get to Impa’s house. Zelda dismounted quickly and they left their horses by the gate as they rushed to Impa’s house. The guards tried to stop them, but Link disarmed them and they ran up the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Zelda threw open Impa’s door, they found her not perched on her stack of pillows as she had been when they’d left her, but laying down on her pedestal, the pillows laid out beneath her and a blanket over her. Paya was tending to her, and when the door slammed open she jumped furiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess!” she gasped. “Link! You two aren’t allowed in here! No one is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked more closely at Impa and realized she was deathly gray. Her hat was laying on the floor beside her, and he recognized the blanket over her body as being embroidered with the prayer of goodbye. He realized with a pang Impa was dying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care,” Zelda said, breathing heavily. “We need to speak with Impa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Paya could protest, Impa raised her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let them stay, my dear,” the old woman whispered. “They need to hear this too. It’s no longer our secret alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paya looked at her grandmother for a long time before finally nodding and moving to make space for Link and Zelda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I take it you found out about the Zonai,” Impa rasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could you know?” Zelda demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Purah sent word you were going to the castle,” the old Sheikah said. “I knew it would only be a matter of time before you discovered the book I left for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wondered why it was in such different condition than the others around it,” Zelda said. “It was also shoved behind several others on the same shelf.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew the old history I’d inherited from the previous leaders of the Sheikah tribe would be destroyed if it were ever found. It’s been kept in Kakariko since we were exiled here, but after the Calamity I moved it to the castle because I felt it would be safer there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are there any books about the Sheikah technology?” Zelda asked. “The Zonai book makes reference to its origins but only vaguely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That particular history was passed down orally. The writings were destroyed when our technologies were buried. I’m the only Sheikah alive who can tell you more, but even I don’t know everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“10,000 years ago the Sheikah had many ideas for many wondrous things. They constructed many prototypes, but none of them functioned. The scientists and inventors soon realized they were missing a power source. Fire wouldn’t work, and electricity would run out. They needed a stable way to power their technology for an extended amount of time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eventually a power source was discovered under Hyrule Castle. None of the Sheikah could explain what it could possibly be, but it fulfilled their every need. They didn’t have to create it, they only needed to harvest it, and from what they could tell it was infinite. Some of our brightest thinkers connected the Zonai’s actions for the Royal Family centuries before to this discovery, but by the time they did the Zonai were already gone. They didn’t say anything because they didn’t want the same thing happening to them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did they know what the task the Zonai completed was?” Link asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Impa coughed. “That information was top secret, known only by the king and the Zonai leaders involved, and long since lost to time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why did the king eradicate the entire Zonai people?” Zelda demanded. “If only the leaders knew whatever top secret information this is, why were their people exiled as well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one alive can know,” Impa said sadly. “We can only guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda sighed and clasped her hands together in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So whatever the Zonai did for the Royal Family led to the Sheikah being able to create the shrines, towers, Divine Beasts, the Sheikah Slate, and everything else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Impa nodded slightly. Link noticed her breaths were becoming fewer and far between, and reached for Zelda to suggest they should probably stop questioning her, but Impa’s eyes fell on him and he dropped his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had more to tell them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Many secrets of the Zonai have been lost to time. I know you will uncover what remains and learn the truth about what happened over 10,000 years ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda met Impa’s gaze and her face was struck with horror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t die, Impa,” she gasped. “What can I do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, child,” Impa breathed. “I’m surprised my time didn’t come long ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please stay,” Zelda breathed, tears streaming down her face. “Please don’t leave me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Impa gave Zelda a small smile before gathering her remaining strength to say one last thing:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The blood of the lost ones will light the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Impa was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda put her face in her hands and cried. Link put his arm around her shoulders and let tears flow himself. He had no memories of Impa from before the Calamity, but she had been quite helpful to him since he’d woken up. She was a great woman, and he would miss her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paya reached up and pulled the cloth covering Impa over her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two need to leave,” Paya said. “You can’t come to the funeral. It’s against tradition.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Zelda could protest, Link pulled her to her feet and led her out of the house. They made their way back to their horses, and Link grabbed their reins and led their little group out of the town completely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They set up their tents on the old road just outside of town. Link could sense a shift in Zelda, but he couldn’t figure out what had caused it. As he cooked dinner he reasoned it had something to do with what Impa had told them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe Impa’s gone,” Zelda murmured as Link handed her a bowl. “It’s like a rock in my life has crumbled to dust, leaving me teetering.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young warrior could think of nothing to say. He’d retreated into himself, trying to carry Zelda’s burdens as well as his own by silently listening to her sorrows. The soup brought him warmth in the chill of the night, but not the comfort he’d been hoping they’d both receive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can I be queen now? All my life Impa has been there, guiding me. Now she’s gone. Who would be my royal advisor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link sipped his soup carefully so he wouldn’t spill it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what of the Zonai? How could we possibly bring them justice after all this time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he had no answer for this either, he set about cleaning his bowl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think about Impa’s last words? ‘The blood of the lost ones will light the way?’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been thinking about them all evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ‘lost ones’ have to be the Zonai,” he said. “Maybe this is some prophecy-type thing that will lead us to learning what the Zonai did for the Royal Family?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Zelda said, putting aside her own, barely-touched bowl. “It might mean that one of the descendants of the Zonai will guide the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Link said. “The word ‘light’ might be a clue.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, there are two possibilities I can think of based on traipsing across Hyrule,” Link said. “In the Typhlo Ruins, there is no light whatsoever. This prophecy could mean we need to take a Zonai descendant to the Typhlo Ruins and they will be able to literally light the way through the darkness so we can find what we’re looking for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The other possibility is another set of ruins not far outside Lurelin Village, where we saw Garini. There was a task he and I needed to do, and the words for the information on how to complete the task glowed at night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda thought about this for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s start with the second one,” she said. “That way, if it doesn’t work out, maybe we can convince Garini or one of them to come with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. Lurelin it is.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Hidden Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In their down time, Zelda had been showing great progress with her traveler’s bow, so Link decided to make a pit stop on their way to Faron to give her a chance to practice. He stopped them on the top of the hill between the Outpost Ruins and East Post Ruins and commenced target practice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason he’d believed she’d be concerned at the prospect of shooting at high-level monsters with a weak bow simply for target practice, but the memory of them in Blatchery Plain came to mind and he couldn’t help but feel honored at her complete trust in him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was determined to keep it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He studied her form and shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your elbow should be a touch lower,” he said gently, placing his hand on her arm and shifting it. “Like this. This allows the most force to be applied to the string and the arrow and thus allows for a more effective shot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded, and Link glanced over at her target. The black moblin was bumbling through the ruins, scratching his head with his weapon and looking around. The young Hylian tightened his hand on his own bow, ready to fire as well if Zelda’s shot drew the monster’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The princess of Hyrule took a breath, held it, and loosed her arrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link watched, impressed, as the arrow flew and hit the moblin directly in the back of the head. The monster flew forward onto its face; within seconds it had lept to its feet and was looking around for the culprit. Link pulled Zelda down into a crouch, holding his breath until the moblin went back to what it had been doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was an amazing shot,” he breathed. “You’re a natural at this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you’re just a good teacher,” Zelda replied, smiling at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart fluttered, and he couldn’t help but smile back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to keep practicing?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I find I quite like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spent the rest of the day tag-teaming the monsters inhabiting the two sets of ruins. By the time they’d taken out the last one, the sun was beginning to set. The two companions decided to set up camp on the structure at the end of the road leading to the Bridge of Hylia, and once they’d gotten set up Zelda said she wanted to bathe in the small, nearby pond. Link nodded and set about not paying direct attention to her in the water but maintaining observation of the perimeter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she returned, doing her best to squeeze the excess water out of her short hair, Link noticed she was wearing her new traveling clothes. This reminded him of the present he’d purchased for her, so he retrieved it from his pack and sat next to her by the fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got this for you,” he said, handing her the package.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda lifted the paper-wrapped parcel and shook it, grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t sound like anything,” she teased. “Obviously it’s empty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link rolled his eyes, grinning in response. Zelda untied the string holding the parcel closed and unfolded it. She pulled out the garment within and stared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is beautiful. I’ve never seen a Hylian hood like this one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It looked exactly like his, but was made of a type of fabric unique not just to Kakariko but to Claree’s shop in particular. It was waterproof and weatherproof in general; it had the unique ability to keep a person warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. Claree had also used a special thread for the embroidery which caused the design to shimmer. It didn’t do much for camouflage, but was very beautiful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Link,” she said, wrapping it around her shoulders and clasping it in the front. “I love it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The breath escaped Link’s chest in a whoosh as he took in Zelda’s appearance. The hood combined with her short hair enhanced her adorableness considerably, almost to the point where he couldn’t handle it. She smiled again and he was lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled her into his lap and held her close, burying his face in her neck. The fabric of her hood brushed against his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They arrived in Lurelin late the following afternoon, and after leaving their horses at the inn sought out Garini at the Palmorae Ruins. He was more than happy to see them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s so good to see both of you again!” he gushed to Link as Zelda poked about the ruins. “I was worried you wouldn’t come back, what with how much exploring there is to do in Hyrule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been all over Hyrule, and I can’t get this particular place out of my mind,” Link said, gesturing to the ruins around them. “Is there anything you can tell us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The only thing I know about them besides the fact they’re housing a shrine is that they're named after palm trees,” Garini admitted. “There isn’t much else to them than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s disappointing,” Link said. “We were hoping they could solve a riddle for us that we heard from someone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? What’s the riddle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘The blood of the lost ones will light the way.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm,” Garini said, scratching his chin. “I’ve never heard of any lost ones, but I bet you came because these words light up, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s give this monument a closer look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two friends approached the broken monument to examine it more closely. Garini reached out to touch it and cut his hand on one of the broken shards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh drat,” he said, flinching away and examining his hand. “I’d better head back to the village and get this cleaned up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine,” Link said, something having just occurred to him. “We’ll be alright without you. Thank you for your help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Garini was out of earshot, Link called Zelda over. As she approached, the ground beneath them began to shake and Link flashed back to the day of the Calamity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s happening?” she asked over the rumbling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link pointed at the monument where Garini had cut himself, and they both watched as the blood flashed the bright green of the words at night before sinking into the rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rumbling got louder, and Link turned to see the cliffside behind the shrine opening up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on!” Link said, grabbing Zelda’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They dove into the opening just as it finished opening and began to inch shut. Before they knew it, they were trapped in a cavern lit only by what Link recognized as luminous stones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Zelda said, adjusting the strap of her pack on her back. “Looks like there’s no going back.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. The Royal Family's Dark Secret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>One more chapter after this one! Today we get into my interpretation of the trailer for Breath of the Wild 2.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Not far inside the cavern, they noticed various tunnels branching off. They also found a family of friendly creatures that looked a lot like small versions of Ruta. After some convincing with some food, they managed to get one of them to come with them. Link fashioned one of his spare saddles into a makeshift saddle for it, and they hung their packs off the back of the saddle. This allowed one of them to ride while the other walked and explored things more closely, and surprisingly the creature was okay with this arrangement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where do you think we are?” Link asked Zelda after they’d followed one of the branching tunnels for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“According to the Sheikah slate, we’re under Zora’s Domain,” she said, peering at the screen. “I’m impressed it’s still able to track our location.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder what could possibly be down here,” Link said, one hand on the creature they’d decided to name Milo, guiding him around a stalactite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully some answers,” Zelda said, deftly stepping over a fallen stalagmite as she continued to study the Sheikah Slate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually the tunnel they were in ended in a dead end, so they decided to head back and make camp in the main cavern. Once they arrived, Zelda used one of the rocks on the ground to mark the tunnel they’d already explored.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over the next few days by Zelda’s calculations according to the clock on the Sheikah Slate, they managed to explore all but one of the tunnels. The most interesting tunnel thus far led to what was probably the reason why the Palmorae Ruins existed: a temple to some long-forgotten deity. They’d left a small offering of food before leaving it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, they had only one tunnel left, and it was one of two that led downwards. Zelda, Milo, and Link stood at the entrance of it, looking into its depths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I see a light,” Link said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re probably just seeing things,” Zelda said, a quiver in her voice. “There couldn’t possibly be anything down there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s some reason why Impa led us here,” Link pointed out, “and I doubt it had anything to do with that temple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Zelda said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go see what’s down there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This route was much different from the previous ones they’d explored. Almost immediately they found themselves walking along the edge of an enormous chasm, the bottom of which they were heading towards. This path had the most Zonai structures by far, excluding the temple route, including a massive bridge they had to cross to stay on the path.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This seems promising,” Zelda said as they stopped at the bottom of the chasm to rest and allow Milo to drink from the small river that ran through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Link said, unable to shake a feeling he couldn’t identify. “Promising.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued and were forced to leave Milo behind as the path ended at the entrance to a tunnel that was only big enough for one person. Link and Zelda entered it single-file, Zelda going first to Link’s dismay. The only thing she had to defend herself with was her traveler’s bow and there was no telling what they’d find at the end of this particular tunnel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When it finally opened up, Zelda halted in her tracks, blocking Link in the tunnel. He gently pushed her aside and squeezed through, and then froze himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the center of the cavern was a figure being held down by a glowing hand. Malice was streaming from the figure while the hand was pulling some sort of green energy from it, not dissimilar to the luminous stones that had lit most of their way. The hand had similar embellishments to the Sheikah monks Link had encountered in shrines, while the figure was wearing Gerudo jewelry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are we?” Link asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shaking, Zelda reached for the Sheikah Slate and opened its map.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right underneath Hyrule Castle,” she said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Link wanted to get closer to the figure to examine it more closely, but to his surprise Zelda held him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” he asked, noting that her hand on his arm was quivering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s Ganondorf,” she breathed as though she thought the figure could hear them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s impossible,” Link said, glancing back at the decrepit form. “Ganondorf died millenia ago. His reincarnated form, Ganon, is what we’ve been dealing with ever since.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if he didn’t die?” she whispered hurriedly. “What if he’s been preserved like the monks in the shrines? What if that’s why there hasn’t been another Gerudo male?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s blood ran cold at the thought of Ganondorf having existed beneath Hyrule Castle all this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…” he said. “If Ganondorf has been here all this time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then this is what the Zonai did,” Zelda said. “They were the ones who imprisoned him for the Royal Family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But how does this tie into the Sheikah technology?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If Ganondorf is somehow immortal, then perhaps that hand is pulling some kind of energy out of him and sending it to the surface. It looks like there’s some sort of structure above him that might be absorbing it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next question,” Link said. “Is there any real way the Sheikah could have been harnessing Ganondorf’s energy without even knowing that was what they were doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For this, Zelda had no answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well what are we going to do?” Link demanded. “We’re the hero and the princess. We’re supposed to defeat Ganon in our generation. We’ve done that. Maybe we’re the final hero and princess who will defeat Ganondorf once and for all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really think we could be that important?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why else would we be here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coincidence,” Zelda muttered, but he knew she didn’t believe that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what do you want to do?” she asked after a few moments. “Just run your sword through him? Chop off his head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought we’d start by disconnecting that hand,” Link said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would end all of the Sheikah technology! Everything, the tech labs, the Sheikah Slate, the towers, the shrines, the Divine Beasts! It would all be gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It probably shouldn’t exist to begin with,” Link said gently. “It wouldn’t surprise me if his own energy being the power source was what made it so easy for Ganon to take over the Guardians and Divine Beasts during the Calamity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link could see the war waging within Zelda. She’d staked her whole identity on wanting to discover as much as she could about the ancient Sheikah technology so she could use it for the good of Hyrule, and he knew the thought of throwing it all away right when they might need it most would be awful to her. But he couldn’t see another way. For all they knew, the hand was also keeping Ganondorf in his mummified state and removing it was the only way to truly kill him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Zelda said quietly. “Go ahead and remove it. May Hylia protect us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link stepped carefully into the room, testing the floor to make sure there weren’t any traps or pitfalls he could trigger. He inched closer and closer to the figure that was probably Ganondorf, the malic flowing from him wrapping around his legs and sapping at his courage. Once he was next to the mummy, Link took a deep breath and reached out to touch the hand grasping its chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda screamed, and then he was falling.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. There Ain't No Rest for the Wicked</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Something grabbed Link’s arm, and Link had the wherewithal to reach out his hand for Zelda, who had also been caught up in the floor collapsing around the podium on which Ganondorf’s body was perched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or had been perched, Link noticed dimly as he realized not only that the thing that had grabbed him was the hand, but also that Ganondorf’s body was no longer where it had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t much time to dwell on this, however, as just as his feet touched the cave floor again, Link’s arm started to burn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letting go of Zelda’s hand, Link looked at his arm and noticed it was turning the same green as the hand that had been holding down Ganondorf. The light coursed up his arm, burning intensely as it went, and finally stopped at his shoulder, but not before the pain had driven him to his knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly he became aware of Zelda’s hand on his other shoulder, and eventually he realized she was speaking to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link,” she cried, “we have to go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they retreated down the tunnel once again, Link realized that the world around them was shaking. It reminded him of the shaking that had taken the Shrine of Resurrection down to the dungeon he’d needed to beat to earn his Divine Beast, but on a much larger scale. He wondered what could possibly be moving so much earth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally they got back to Milo, who was freaking out in his own way. Zelda made Link get on his back, and they went as fast as they could back up to the main cavern. When they got there, they took their things, left Milo with his family, and emerged from the doors that had just opened once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside it was eerily quiet, but they could still feel the rumbling of the earth beneath them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” Link said, throwing his pack over his shoulder and running to the village. They had to get to high ground to see where the rumbling was coming from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time they got to the cliff overlooking Lurelin, two things were blatantly obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One, the shrines and towers were gone. They must have retreated into the ground when Link disconnected Ganondorf from the hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two, Hyrule Castle was rising into the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What on earth--?” Zelda breathed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link couldn’t answer her, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All at once, everything stopped shaking and Hyrule Castle ground to a halt, much higher off the ground than it had been before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A voice rang out across the land.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Citizens of Hyrule,” an old voice, much older than anything Link had ever encountered, boomed. “I am Ganondorf, returned once and for all to claim what is rightfully mine. This world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not try to resist; I am unstoppable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not foster hope; I am the end of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not fear; your lives will not last much longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am the inevitable end of this kingdom. Say goodbye to Hyrule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looked at Zelda, who looked at him, tears filling her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can we do?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link couldn’t answer this either.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please bear in mind that this fic exists solely as a bridge between the first game and the second based on theories I liked about the trailer. It was never intended to tell a potential story for the second game, which is why it ends where it does.</p><p>Check me out on Tumblr at cynical-mystic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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